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The  Liberators 


There  was  wild  tumult  in  the  Capital  C'ty." 

Page  203 


The  Liberators 


A  Story  of  Future 
American  Politics 


BY 

ISAAC   N.   STEVENS 


^ 


NEW  YORK 

B.  W.  DODGE  &   COMPANY 

1908 


Copyrighted,   1908.  by 
B.  W.  DODGE  &  COMPANY 


Registered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London 

(All    Rights  Reserved) 

Published  February,   1908 

Printed  b  the  United  States  of  America 


'T^O  the  ambitious  young  men  of 
America  and  to  their  mothers, 
wives  and  sweethearts  who  may  wish 
them  to  achieve  honorable  fame  in 
pubHc    Hfe,   this   book   is   respectfully 

dedicated 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


Preface   to   the   Third   Edition 

The  author  is  indebted  to  the  Reviewers  of  America 
for  most  generous  and  very  general  reviezvs  of  his 
book. 

Aware  as  he  is  of  the  literary  and  artistic  defects  of 
the  story,  most  of  which  seemed  to  be  incurable  zvith- 
out  sacriUcing  the  strength  and  consistency  of  purpose 
of  the  tale,  the  generosity  and  courtesy  of  the  Reviciv- 
ers  are  doubly  appreciated.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  ef- 
fort of  a  neiv  author  in  recent  years  has  received  so 
much  and  such  kindly  attention  from  the  publications 
of  the  United  States  as  that  which  has  been  accorded 
"The  Liberators." 

This  is  avozvedly  a  political  tale  and  not  a  society 
novel. 

Those  who  are  seeking  sensuous  scenes,  or  more  or 
less  bald  sexual  revelations,  or  the  idle  chatter  of  so- 
ciety dolls,  or  the  more  inane  talk  of  society  beaux, 
should  immediately  close  this  book  and  seek  to  gratify 
their  longings  at  the  nearest  bookstall  from  the  ple- 
thora of  imported  filth  zvhich  just  now  is  having  such  a 
vogue  zvith  certain  classes  of  American  readers. 

Those  zvho  have  high  ideals  of  people  and  govern- 
ment, who  are  patriotic  enough  to  zvish  to  understand 
and  to  help  correct  public  evils — who  have  considera- 
tion and  respect  for  pure  zvomanhood — who  are  not 
fazvning  sycophants  or  impotent  slaves  to  the  system 
of  feudalism  that  is  destroying  all  honest  government 
and  all  honest  effort — zvho  zvish  for  dialogue  and 
speech  that  befit  refined  and  educated  men  and  women 

vii 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION         '■ 

may  possibly  get  some  degree  of  comfort,  enjoyment, 
instruction  and  inspiration  from  the  pages  of  this  book. 

Every  political  incident  and  occurrence  related  in 
this  story  is  founded  upon  indisputable  facts. 

The  same  is  true  regarding  the  abuses  and  aggres- 
sions of  the  utility  corporations. 

The  overthrow  of  election  results,  the  perfect  co- 
operation of  the  two  political  parties  in  every  matter 
zvhere  "the  master's  voice"  so  commands,  the  futility 
and  dishonesty  of  government  regulation  of  the  utility 
companies,  the  degrading  corruption  of  the  courts,  the 
illustrations  of  how  railzvay  charges  are  controlled  by 
the  doctrine  of  "all  the  traMc  zvill  bear,"  the  utter 
serfdom  of  public  officials,  the  absolute  impossibility 
of  an  honorable  career  in  public  life  for  an  ambitious 
young  man,  the  social  demoralisation  of  the  people 
through  the  system  of  American  feudalism — ARE 
NONE  OF  THEM  FIGMENTS  OF  THE  IMAGI- 
NATION, OR  A  FRENZIED  DREAM  OF  WHAT 
MAY  TAKE  PLACE  IN  THE  FUTURE;  BUT 
EACH  AND  ALL  OF  THEM  ARE  RECITALS  OF 
ACTUAL,  EVERYDAY  INCIDENTS  IN  THE 
POLITICAL  LIFE  OF  OUR  COUNTRY. 

Many  of  the  Revieivers  have  approvingly  commented 
upon  the  fact  tJtat  "The  Liberators"  is  a  hopeful, 
patriotic,  and  therefore  pleasing  prophecy  of  the  ulti- 
mate solution  of  existing  involved  and  inequitable 
social  and  governmental  conditions.  It  is  all  of  that — 
and  purposely  so. 

The  peaceful  solution  of  these  problems  is  wholly 
zvithin  the  pozver  of  the  feudal  lords  of  America — 
those  who  impose  an  arbitrary  tax  upon  every  member 
of  society,  through  the  authority  of  a  government  that 
is  made,  and  kept,  corrupt  by  these  tributes  of  the  peo- 
ple expended  in  controlling  political  parties  and  public 
officials,  to  the  end  tJiat  the  fiefs  of  the  lords  may  be 
kept  perpetual  and  from  time  to  time  increased. 

yiii 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION 

What  splendid  service  a  patriot  among  our  Captains 
of  Industry  could  render  posterity;  how  easily  the  glit' 
tering  szvord  of  a  modern  Godfrey  could  zvin  the  pres- 
ent crusade  for  governmental  righteousness,  and  re- 
cover that  Holy  Sepulchre  wherein  Liberty  lies  buried 
— these  pages  attempt  to  demonstrate. 

There  are  many  brave  warnings  of  an  impending 
crash  from  the  vieiv-points  of  the  situation  by  other 
authors;  but  let  us  hope  that  the  "Silent  War"  of  the 
Black-Hand  Association,  the  secret  assassination  of  in- 
satiable greed  by  pauperised  society,  the  oft-predicted 
armed  revolution,  will  not  be  necessary  to  correct  evils 
which  patriotism  can  eliminate  in  a  moment  from  our 
social  structure. 

One  fact  must  be  apparent  to  the  most  obtuse 
Citizen,  vis.,  that  our  government  is  neither  a  Republic 
nor  a  Democracy,  but  the  most  autocratic,  tyrannous 
and  depraved  Oligarchy  that  the  sun  ever  shone  upon. 
If  that  is  the  system  of  government  the  American 
people  want,  then  by  all  that  is  sacred  let  us  drop  our 
hypocrisy  and  quit  talking  about  "the  rule  of  the  peo- 
ple," "the  principles  of  our  forefathers,"  "the  glorious 
destiny  of  the  Republic,"  "the  equality  of  our  Citizens," 
"the  equal  standing  of  all  before  the  law" — and  let  us 
boldly  proclaim  our  devotion  to  the  sovereignty  of 
Special  Privilege  as  it  actually  exists  in  every  section 
of  the  Union. 

It  is  not  even  presumed  that  the  remedies  suggested 
in  this  story  are  the  only  ones  needed  to  correct  gov- 
ernment abuses;  but  the  history  of  our  country  for 
the  past  twenty  years  clearly  demonstrates  that  no 
progressive  legislation  is  possible  or  can  be  made  ef- 
fective until  the  people  come  into  their  ozvn  in  the  op- 
eration of  every  department  of  government. 

The  perfect  circle  around  zvhich  our  Special  Privi- 
lege rulers  are  enabled  to  send  all  changes  in  law  and 
in  public  officials  until  they  arrive  at  the  starting  point 

ix 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION 

and  are  brought  under  the  complete  domination  of  the 
same  masters,  must  surely  have  aroused  the  resent- 
ment of  the  American  voters  and  opened  their  eyes 
to  the  vitally  ivcak  spot  in  our  governmental  system, 
without  the  remedying  of  zvhich  no  permanent  moral 
progress  in  government  affairs  can  be  made.  The  ease 
with  ivhich  these  masters  play  an  unknown  Republi- 
can candidate  against  a  discredited  Democratic  of- 
ficial; the  ease  with  zvhich  the  same  masters  compel 
the  unknown  Republican,  to  zvhom  the  people  have 
turned  for  relief  and  reform,  to  tread  the  same  path 
of  treachery  to  the  public  interests  and  of  menial  ser- 
vice to  the  feudal  lords  that  the  obnoxious  Democrat 
traveled — must  be  getting  Dionotonous  political  scenes 
to  the  eyes  of  honest  Citizens. 

But  what  else  can  be  expected  under  our  present 
system  of  government? 

Surely  these  nczvly  elected  public  officials  must  be 
true  to  their  own — and  zvho  furnished  the  money  to 
pack  conventions  or  to  carry  primaries  for  their  nomi- 
nation, and  who  contributed  the  campaign  funds  for 
their  elections?  Did  the  people — those  zvilling  voters 
zi'ho  cast  their  ballots  zi'ith  a  smile  of  satisfaction  as 
they  vindicated  (?)  the  principles  of  Lincoln  or  Jeffer- 
son ? 

Not  they. 

Eighty  per  cent,  of  all  campaign  contributions,  in 
important  elections,  comes  from  the  public  utility  com- 
panies— from  the  tribute  money  wrung  from  the  peo- 
ple through  dishonest  legislation  and  corrupt  elec- 
tions. 

Has  any  one  ever  known  a  man  thus  elected  to  fail 
to  serve  these  interests  zvhen  they  were  vitally  af- 
fected; and  zvould  the  public  not  consider  him  an  un- 
blushing scoundrel  if  fie  did  fail  to  serve  them  after 
having  accepted  a  nomination  at  their  hands  and  taken 
their  money  to  insure  his  election?. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION 

'And  yet  timid  reformers  and  halting  statesman' 
ship  talk  about  "regulating  these  interests  by  legisla- 
tion/' through  public  officials  thus  nominated  and  thus 
elected. 

There  can  be  no  effective  regulation  of  these  utility 
corporations  that  does  not  amount  to  practical  gov- 
ernment ownership.  And  when  one  recalls  the  daily 
hunting  of  these  feudal  lords  by  officers  of  the  lazu  as 
common  criminals,  even  under  the  present  frail  and 
inefficient  lazvs  for  their  control,  does  not  the  thought 
occur  that  the  government  might  much  better  be  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  conducting  its  own  affairs 
(ivith  these  enterprises  as  part  of  government  func- 
tions, which  properly  they  are)  than  in  creating  and 
hunting  criminals,  as  is  nozv  entailed  by  the  present 
system  of  performing  government  functions  through 
private  persons? 

A  critic  has  suggested  that  Gertrude  Strong  talks 
too  learnedly  to  fit  any  type  of  existing  American 
woman.  In  this  the  author  thinks  the  critic  is  mis- 
taken. Gertrude  Strong  reflects  the  settings  of  an  en- 
vironment that  is  not  at  all  improbable  in  the  life  of 
any  one  of  a  do.'^en  prominent  American  women  of 
to-day,  and  which  zvill  be  much  more  common  in  that 
approaching  era  zvhen  zvomen  shall  be  universally  ac- 
corded all  the  civil  and  political  rights  to  which  they 
are  entitled. 

Isaac  N.  Stevens. 

New  York,  May  lo,  1908. 


XI 


The   Liberators 

Chapter  I. 

There  were  but  two  occupants  of  the  large  old- 
fashioned  room  that  gray  afternoon,  and  it  needed  but 
a  glance  to  know  that  they  were  father  and  son.  There 
was  the  same  clear-eyed,  brave-souled  countenance, 
the  same  tall  thin  figure  that  meant  youth  in  the  one 
case  and  the  wasting  of  disease  in  the  other.  Colonel 
Peyton  Randolph  was  a  handsome  old  man,  of  that 
courtly  Southern  type  that  belongs  to  a  vanishing 
generation.  Forty  years  in  the  West  had  not  eradi- 
cated the  slow,  soft  Virginia  accent  nor  sufficed  to 
alter  some  of  the  traditions  of  his  youth,  of  which  the 
room  was  an  eloquent  testimonial.  Other  Illinois 
farmhouses  might  be  heated  with  "base  burners"  and 
air-tight  stoves,  but  the  Randolph  place  boasted  half 
a  dozen  fireplaces,  and  the  smouldering  log  was  re- 
flected dimly  in  the  polished  floor.  The  furniture 
was  high,  time-worn  mahogany,  with  glass  knobs 
and  a  hand-woven  blue-and-white  counterpane  cov- 
ered the  bed.  The  only  modern  thing  in  the  room 
was   the   invalid   chair,    drawn    close    to   the    double 


THE    LIBERATORS 

western  window,  where  the  old  man  sat  looking  out 
at  the  wide  expanse  of  sodden  prairie  away  toward 
the  line  of  timber  that  bounded  the  Mississippi,  the 
stubble  fields,  the  shocks  of  corn,  and  here  and  there 
a  long  black  strip  which  told  that  the  fall  plowing 
had  begun.  The  clouds  were  low  in  the  skies  and 
shifting  rapidly,  and  the  wind  that  shook  the  windows, 
weather-stripped  as  they  were,  crept  into  the  room 
with  a  piercing  chill.  There  was  perfect  silence.  The 
old  man  looked  out  at  the  flying  clouds,  and  the 
young  man,  hardly  more  than  a  boy,  went  on  polishing 
the  scabbard  of  the  shining  sword  that  rested  across 
his  knees.  The  belt,  with  its  brilliant  brass  buckle, 
lay  on  the  floor  beside  him.  Over  the  mantel  hung 
the  musket  and  canteen  that  had  belonged  to  Private 
Peyton  Randolph,  Company  B — Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  the  chevrons,  shoulder  straps  and  side 
arms  that  told  of  the  transformations  that  had  made  him 
Colonel  Randolph  when  he  was  mustered  out.  The 
boy  was  intent  upon  his  work,  and  holding  the  scab- 
bard up  to  view  it  more  critically  in  the  fast  fading 
light,  before  applying  the  emery  paper  to  an  imaginary 
spot,  he  caught  his  father's  eyes  fixed  upon  him. 

"Are  you  cold.  Father?"  he  asked,  rising  instantly 
and  throwing  a  fresh  log  on  the  fire,  as  the  old  man 
drew   his   faded   dressing-gown  about  him.     A   few 

8 


THE    LIBERATORS 

minutes  with  the  bellows,  and  the  sparks  were  flying 
up  the  chimney.  The  boy  pulled  the  curtains  partly 
over  the  window,  and  drew  the  invalid  chair  toward 
the  fire. 

"There!"  he  said,  tucking  an  afghan  about  the 
patient's  knees,  "isn't  that  more  comfortable?  The 
fire  feels  right  good  to-day,  doesn't  it?" 

His  father  nodded.  "Yes,  it  is  cold  for  the  7th  of 
October,   son.     I   don't  know  that  I've  ever  seen  it 

colder,  not  even — no,  not  even "       He  did  not  finish 

his  sentence,  but  looked  away  again  where  night  was 
darkening  in  the  west.  It  was  not  until  his  glance 
came  back  to  the  fire  that  his  son  looked  up  from  his 
emery  paper  and  said : 

"Is  it  an  anniversary,  Father?  I  don't  seem  to 
remember  it." 

"Yes,  George,"  he  answered,  "it  is  an  anniversary 
that  I  usually  keep  all  by  myself,  of  an  event  that 
occurred  several  years  before  you  were  born.  It 
isn't  often,  my  boy,  that  any  man  can  put  his  finger 
down  on  the  day  and  the  hour  that  changed  his  whole 
existence,  that  swept  away  old  beliefs  and  opinions 
and  left  him  with  convictions  for  which  he  could  die, 
but  without  which  he  could  not  live.  I  imagine  that 
is  not  a  common  experience,  George." 

The  boy  had  finished  his  work,  and  fastening  the 


THE    LIBERATORS 

belt  about  his  slender  young  form,  he  brought  his 
heels  together  and  raising  the  sword  saluted  and 
dropped  it  into  the  scabbard  with  a  martial  clang. 

"Was  it  in  the  war,  Father?"  he  asked.  "But 
what  a  foolish  question !  Of  course  it  was  in  the 
war.  Those  were  the  times  that  tried  men's  souls 
and  showed  what  metal  was  in  a  man !" 

Colonel  Randolph  shook  his  head  and  smiled  a 
little  sadly.  "Don't  make  that  mistake,  my  lad,"  he 
said.  "Don't  ever  believe  that  a  nation's  fighters  are 
greater  than  its  thinkers,  or  that  a  man  who  leads  a 
regiment  to  battle  is  greater  than  the  man  who  has 
given  the  men  in  that  regiment  an  idea  that  they  are 
willing  to  die  for.  Some  day  this  country  will  ap- 
preciate the  man  whose  words  you  have  just  quoted, 
and  make  room  for  Tom  Paine  in  the  gallery  of  its 
immortals.  He  and  Franklin  did  as  much  for  the 
Colonies  as  any  soldier  of  them  all.  No  general  of 
the  Civil  War  ranks  beside  the  commander-in-chief, 
Abraham  Lincoln.  It  was  he  of  whom  I  have  been 
thinking  all  afternoon." 

"And  the  7th  of  October ?"  said  the  boy  respect- 
fully. 

"Yes,  the  7th  of  October,  1858.  That  was  the 
day  I  saw  him  first.  I  was  a  young  man  and  rather 
a  newcomer  in  Illinois  at  the  time,  but  not  so  new 

10 


THE    LIBERATORS 

that  I  did  not  know  something  of  the  two  men  whose 
joint  debates  that  fall  and  summer  had  become  some- 
thing more  than  a  matter  of  local  interest.  The  slavery 
question  had  divided  our  family,  even  in  the  days 
of  the  beginning  of  the  Republic.  It  was  one  of  your 
immediate  ancestors,  Edmund  Randolph,  who,  in  the 
Constitutional  Convention,  moved  that  the  word 
'slavery'  be  stricken  from  the  proposed  constitution  of 
the  United  States.  My  father  manumitted  his 
slaves,  and  I  came  West  to  begin  life  !n  a  free  State. 
Nevertheless,  I  was  a  Democrat  by  tradition,  and,  like 
many  Southerners,  I  believed  in  culture  and  education 
and  the  refinements  that  go  to  make  what  we  called  a 
'gentleman.'  The  brilliance,  the  polish  of  Douglas 
made  him  seem  more  like  senatorial  timber. 
Lincoln  had  served  in  the  House,  but  with- 
out distinction  to  himself  or  his  State.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  those  debates  it  was  said  by  the  followers 
of  the  'Little  Giant,'  and  he  had  many,  that  he  had 
Lincoln  outclassed ;  but  all  the  polish  that  can  be  given 
to  counterfeit  gold  will  not  make  it  ring  true,  and 
suave  plausibility  cannot  win  against  sincerity  and 
truth.  As  I  rode  into  Galesburg  the  morning  of  Oc- 
tober 7th  my  mind  was  in  a  tumult.  I  wanted  to  be- 
lieve in  Douglas,  and  I  hoped  that  when  he  spoke  for 
himself  I  should  find  his     words  more  satisfactory 

II 


THE    LIBERATORS 

than  the  scant  reports  I  had  been  able  to  gain  from 
the  newspapers. 

"It  was  much  such  a  day  as  this  has  been.  I  re- 
member distinctly  that  I  could  not  find  a  place  for  my 
horse  at  any  of  the  livery  stables,  and  that  I  finally 
rode  half  a  mile  or  so  out  of  town  and  prevailed  upon 
a  farmer  to  let  me  hitch  it  in  his  barn.  As  I  walked 
back  I  was  amazed  at  the  concourse  of  people  who 
seemed  to  be  coming  from  all  quarters,  in  all  kinds  of 
vehicles.  There  were  special  trains,  and  long  be- 
fore time  for  the  parades  the  streets  were  so  packed 
that  it  did  not  seem  possible  to  hold  them." 

"Parades?"  said  the  young  man,  interrogatively. 

"Oh,  yes.  It  was  a  joint  debate,"  replied  Colonel 
Randolph;  "but  each  champion  had  his  own  parade, 
with  banners  and  inscriptions,  chariots  and  white 
horses — outriders,  and  all  the  pomp  and  state  that 
bunting  and  brass  bands  can  bestow.  I  recall  that 
Lincoln  had  an  escort  of  one  hundred  women  on 
horseback  attended  by  one  hundred  horsemen.  It 
was  the  first  campaign  in  which  I  had  ever  seen 
women  take  part,  and  with  my  youthful  conservatism 
and  Southern  prejudice,  it  did  not  help  the  cause  of 
the  uncouth,  badly  dressed  backwoodsman  who  sat 
in  the  carriage  drawn  by  six  white  horses.  His 
homely    awkwardness    made    him    almost    grotesque 

12 


THE    LIBERATORS 

when  compared  to  his  adversary,  with  his  perfect  poise, 
his  glossy  broadcloth,  and  his  air  of  conscious  power." 

The  narrator  paused  a  moment.  "Oh,  well,"  ha 
said,  with  a  sigh,  "mankind  has  never  yet  recognized 
its  leaders  among  those  that  have  not  form  nor  come- 
liness, nor  accepted  at  a  glance  the  stone  rejected  by 
the  builders.  I  entered  into  the  feelings  of  Douglas 
when  he  detailed  the  petty  persecutions  of  the  Federal 
administration  and  of  his  own  party,  because  of  his 
refusal  to  vote  to  fasten  a  slave  constitution  upon  the 
people  of  Kansas  without  giving  them  a  chance  to 
accept  or  reject  it;  and  I  did  not  know  then  that  it 
was  his  opponent  who  was  to  carry  our  sorrows 
through  the  darkest  days  of  our  national  life.  My 
sympathies  were  enlisted  by  Douglas,  but  Lincoln 
appealed  to  something  deeper  than  a  man's  sympathies 
and  higher  than  party  pride.  He  spoke  to  the  con- 
science, the  soul  of  man;  the  harp  of  a  thousand 
strings  vibrated  at  his  touch,  and  the  mind  capitulated. 
From  that  day  I  knew  that  the  irrepressible  conflict 
was  upon  us,  and  I  had  enlisted  for  the  war.  I  never 
swerved  in  my  allegiance  to  Abraham  Lincoln,  and 
to-day  I  believe  him  to  be  the  greatest  man  of  his 
century — I  know  of  none  greater  in  any  century." 

"Father,"  said  the  boy,  hanging  the  sword  in  its 

13 


THE    LIBERATORS 

place  with  a  touch  that  was  almost  reverent,  "Father, 
we  will  keep  this  anniversary  together  from  now  on." 
A  look  of  pain  clouded  Colonel  Randolph's  face, 
but  he  answered  steadily.  "I  hope  so,  my  son;  but 
life  is  always  uncertain,  only  a  soldier  can  realize  how 
uncertain,  and  in  the  days  to  come  I  should  like  to 
have  you  keep  the  memory  of  Lincoln  ever  before  you. 
Study  his  life.  Read  his  speeches  and  commit  them 
to  memory.  No  generation  is  without  its  war,  and 
though  it  may  not  be  accompanied  by  trump  and  drum 
and  the  rattle  of  artillery,  it  is  none  the  less  warfare. 
It  is  not  the  least  of  the  horrors  of  war  that  it  settles 
nothing  that  could  not  have  been  better  settled  with- 
out it.  The  Civil  War  was  waged  against  one  form 
of  human  oppression,  but  it  is  a  hydra-headed  mon- 
ster, and  the  fight  against  it  is  never  won,  and  never 
will  be,  so  long  as  the  extremity  of  the  many  offers 
power  and  wealth  to  the  oppressor.  We  freed  our 
black  slaves  at  the  cost  of  a  horrible  fratricidal  war. 
Alexander,  of  Russia,  freed  the  serfs  by  an  imperial 
ukase,  but  the  causes  of  slavery  are  ignorance  and 
superstition  and  lack  of  initiative,  and  from  these 
neither  the  blood  of  a  nation  nor  the  decree  of  a 
Czar  can  emancipate  a  people  at  once.  It  is  only  the 
truth  that  can  make  us  free,  and  we  are  but  blind 
seekers  after  it,  saying  'Lo  here,'  and  'Lo  there.'  Do  not 

14 


THE    LIBERATORS 

think  that  oppression  is  blotted  out  because  it  changes 
its  name.  Our  forefathers  beheved  that  they  were  lay- 
ing the  foundations  of  a  government  under  which  there 
should  be  equal  rights  for  all  and  special  privileges  for 
none  ;  but  already  privileges  granted  by  the  government 
are  menacing  our  free  institutions,  and  in  your  day  a 
mighty  contest  is  certain  to  arise  over  the  power  of 
the  people  to  revoke  these  special  licenses." 

He  stopped  suddenly,  as  if  in  pain,  and  the  boy 
sprang  to  his  side.  "Father,  you  are  ill,"  he  cried, 
"you  have  overdone." 

The  old  soldier  controlled  himself,  though  his  face 
was  gray  and  haggard.  "It  is  only  the  old  wound," 
he  said  quietly.  "I  shall  soon  be  better,  much  bet- 
ter; but  I  am  glad  to  have  said  these  things  to  you, 
for  I  want  you  to  take  your  place  in  the  world. 
When  the  conflict  is  on  there  is  no  place  for  non- 
combatants.  I  want  you  to  enter  public  life,  but  only 
in  such  manner  that  you  can  be  of  real  service  to  man- 
kind. We  are  not  rich  people,  but  you  need  not  lack 
equipment.  There  is  plenty  to  put  you  through  col- 
lege and  give  you  such  a  start  in  life  as  we  have 
often  discussed;  but,  after  all,  the  only  success  worth 
having  is  the  success  that  grows  with  your  growth 
and  strengthens  with  your  character.     It  has  never 

15 


THE    LIBERATORS 

been  written  that  it  profited  a  man  anything  to  gain 
the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul." 

''Are  you  afraid  that  I  shall  falter,  Father?"  asked 
the  boy  in  a  hurt  tone. 

The  thin,  frail  old  hand  closed  over  the  long  boyish 
fingers.  "No,"  he  said  gently,  "I  am  not  afraid  in 
the  least.  We  Randolphs  sin  and  suffer  and  err.  We 
never  temporize  or  take  our  hands  from  the  plow; 
but  be  sure,  my  lad,  that  the  furrow  is  straight,  and 
look  well  to  what  you  plow  under." 

He  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  closed  his  eyes, 
while  the  boy  sat  looking  long  into  the  fire  that  threw 
fitful  shadows  over  the  darkened  room,  while  the 
wind  howled  without,  and  the  rain  dashed  against  the 
windows.  The  log  burned  in  two  and  fell  with  a 
shower  of  sparks,  and  the  boy  went  and  stood  by  his 
father's  chair. 

"Are  you  sure  you  are  as  well,  Father?"  he  asked 
anxiously.      "Shall  I  not  call  Mother?" 

"I  am  sure  I  shall  soon  be  better,"  he  answered, 
"much  better  than  you  have  ever  known  me,  and 
very  soon." 


i6 


Chapter  II. 

Peyton  Randolph  was  an  unusual  man,  and  his  son 
inherited  his  seriousness  of  purpose,  Quick  witted, 
he  was  nevertheless  slow  of  speech,  and  thoughtful. 
Even  if  his  father  had  remained  to  guide  and  counsel 
him,  he  would  never  have  forgotten  what  was  des- 
tined to  be  the  last  conference  he  was  to  have  with 
that  father.  The  old  man's  death  less  than  a  month 
later  served  to  stamp  it  indelibly  upon  the  boy's 
plastic  mind  and  conscience.  He  became  more  of  a 
student  than  ever,  and  when  he  entered  Harvard  it 
was  with  the  determination  to  equip  himself  for  the 
struggle  of  the  future  which  had  become  real.  It 
never  occurred  to  him  to  doubt  the  prophetic  vision  of 
that  October  afternoon,  and  for  him,  as  for  his  father, 
it  became  an  anniversary — the  day  upon  which  the  die 
had  been  cast  for  his  whole  future. 

At  the  time  George  Randolph  entered  Harvard 
the  democratic  college  spirit  was  beginning  to  make 
itself  felt  once  more  in  that  famous  institution,  and 
while  the  mastery  of  pure  science  was  still  the  chief 
goal  of  ambitious  students,  yet  the  old  ideal  was  no 
longer  quite  descriptive  of  Harvard  life,  that,  "a  man 
to  be  a  scholar  must  have  learnt  to  give  up  his  interest 

17. 


THE    LIBERATORS 

in  the  common  occurrences  of  life,  in  the  poHtical  and 
reHgious  controversies  of  the  country,  and  in  every- 
thing not  directly  connected  with  his  single  aim." 

Without  sacrificing  the  methods  that  inspired  and 
developed  intense  individualism,  the  faculty  had  re- 
cently encouraged  systematic  human  culture  and  unity 
of  ambition  and  action,  wherever  the  interests  of  the 
university  were  general. 

The  system  of  advisers  was  still  maintained,  and 
the  new  spirit  naturally  led  to  a  deeper  personal  inter- 
est in  individual  freshmen. 

In  the  assignment  of  advisers  Randolph  was  for- 
tunate in  obtaining  the  services  of  Professor  Weyman, 
an  eminent  scholar  in  the  science  of  political  econ- 
omy, and  one  who  taught  principles  instead  of  theories, 
allowing  no  prejudice  to  cloud  his  mind  or  weaken  the 
force  of  his  illustrations.  With  great  care  the  pro- 
fessor made  out  a  list  of  electives  for  Randolph,  and 
talked  long  and  earnestly  with  him  about  his  aims  and 
ambitions. 

Something  in  the  shy,  reserved  country  boy  ap- 
pealed to  the  old  man.  Perhaps  he  was  reminded  of 
his  own  youth  when  he  had  come  first  to  Harvard, 
a  Green  Mountain  boy  in  more  senses  than  one,  with 
his  head  full  of  dreams,  and  his  trunk  packed  so 
tightly  with  books  that  there  was  scant  room  for  his 

i8 


THE    LIBERATORS 

small  supply  of  raiment.  He  sought  the  lad  out,  won 
his  confidence,  and  there  grew  up  between  them  a 
friendship  that  brought  out  the  best  in  both  of  them. 
After  a  time  the  young  man  found  himself  going  to 
his  favorite  professor  with  his  hopes,  fears  and  per- 
plexities, almost  as  he  had  gone  to  his  father.  On  the 
date  that  seemed  to  have  become  as  significant  for 
him  as  his  birthday,  October  the  seventh,  of  his  sopho- 
more year,  he  told  the  old  man  the  story  of  his  father's 
life,  and  his  own  inflexible  purpose.  As  he  repeated 
his  father's  adjuration,  not  to  place  the  man  of  action 
necessarily  before  the  thinker,  the  professor  nodded 
his  head  and  answered,  after  a  moment's  hesitation: 

"The  world  moves  slowly.  It  will  take  a  long  time 
for  the  pendulum  to  swing  away  from  the  soldier 
magnet;  but  to-day  the  demand  is  more  and  more  for 
the  man  who  combines  the  two,  and  acts  because  he 
thinks.  I  believe  the  time  has  gone  by  when  a  man 
can  be  content  to  philosophize  and  spin  theories.  He 
wants  to  put  them  in  practice.  And  except  that  I  feel 
my  life  renewed  in  the  young  lives  with  which  I  come 
in  contact,  and  know  that  some  of  you  will  certainly 
carry  out  and  make  real  those  ideals  which  I  must  be 
content  to  think  and  teach,  there  are  times  when  I 
should  doubt  whether  I  had  chosen  the  better  part." 

The  more  democratic  spirit  of  later  years  at  Har- 

19 


THE    LIBERATORS 

vard  had  done  much  to  smooth  the  pathway  of  lone- 
some freshmen,  and  it  was  seldom  that  a  scene  de- 
picted a  few  years  previously  was  now  enacted.  Then, 
"a  well-known  professor,  walking  through  the  yard, 
met  a  young  man  who  was  so  forlorn  and  troubled 
that  he  felt  prompted  to  ask :  'Are  you  looking  for 
anybody?'  The  young  man  answered:  T  don't  know 
anybody  this  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.' " 

Besides  possessing  an  attractive  personality,  Ran- 
dolph was  skilled  in  athletics;  and  while  he  felt  some 
thrusts  of  the  snobbishness  that  exists  in  all  large 
universities  where  the  sons  of  the  very  rich  go,  still 
he  readily  gained  a  solid  footing  with  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  students  to  make  his  life  agreeable. 

In  the  same  class  with  him,  and,  as  it  happened,  in 
the  same  division  of  the  class  that  had  Professor 
Weyman  as  adviser,  was  a  young  man  from  New 
York  City,  by  the  name  of  Frederic  Ames.  He  was 
three  months  older  than  Randolph,  and  Professor 
Weyman  had  outlined  for  him  the  identical  course 
that  had  been  given  to  Randolph.  But  Frederic  Ames 
was  taking  this  course  for  an  entirely  different  pur- 
pose than  that  of  Randolph.  His  father  was  the  head 
of  a  family  estate  that  owned,  or  controlled,  all  of  the 
principal  railroad  and  steamship  lines  in  New  York 
and    New   England,    three    of   the    great   transconti- 

20 


THE    LIBERATORS 

nental  railway  lines,  the  rapid  transit  lines  of  New 
lYork  City,  and  street  railways  and  lighting  and  water 
plants  in  some  fifty  other  American  cities.  He  had 
experienced  more  trouble  with  lawyers  than  with  any 
other  class  of  employees,  and  he  had  determined  to 
fit  his  son  to  take  supreme  charge  of  the  legal  depart- 
ment of  his  diversified  interests,  reasoning  that  such 
experience  would  better  fit  the  youth  to  take  control 
of  these  properties  at  his  death,  and  would  not  place 
him  at  the  mercy  of  grasping  attorneys,  as  he  had  been 
so  placed  a  number  of  times. 

Surely  there  never  were  young  men  more  unlike, 
or  more  widely  separated  by  tradition  and  purposes 
than  these  two;  but  from  the  time  they  first  met  in 
Professor  Weyman's  room  they  seemed  drawn  to- 
gether. Ames  was  weary  of  toadies  and  the  admira- 
tion and  proffered  friendship  of  those  who  were  ready 
to  echo  any  sentiment  he  might  choose  to  utter.  His 
very  wealth  cut  him  off  from  the  natural  intercourse 
and  simple  pleasures  of  life.  He  was  willing  enough 
to  forget  it,  but  his  classmates  did  not,  and  he  was 
overwhelmed  with  social  attentions  which  he  regarded 
not  at  all. 

Randolph  alone  seemed  wholly  unconscious  of  his 
superior  position,  and  Randolph  differed  from  him  as 
freely  as  he  did  from  Whitcon,  who  was  working  his 

21 


THE    LIBERATORS 

way  through  college  by  tutoring  in  winter  and  waiting 
on  table  in  summer.  It  was  refreshing.  Randolph 
did  not  seek  him  out,  or  overwhelm,  him  with  grati- 
tude, when  he  was  shown  some  slight  courtesy.  Once 
or  twice,  when  he  called,  Randolph  had  even  asked 
him  to  wait  a  few  minutes  while  he  finished  some 
work,  or  excused  himself  on  the  ground  of  unfinished 
studies.  At  first  his  pride  was  a  little  piqued,  then 
his  interest  was  aroused.  This  was  the  first  time 
in  his  life  when  he  had  not  found  whatever  he  wanted 
without  the  pleasure  of  the  pursuit. 

One  day  he  ran  across  Randolph  in  the  famous  old 
book  store  just  ofT  Scollay  Square.  The  Westerner 
was  poring  over  a  thin  little  volume,  and  Ames  was 
at  his  elbow  before  he  saw  him. 

Randolph  laid  down  the  book  reluctantly. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  his  companion. 

"A  first  edition  of  'Drum-Taps,'  with  an  autograph," 
Randolph  answered ;  "but  I  can't  afford  first  editions, 
especially  when  I  know  most  of  it  by  heart  anyhow." 

He  said  it  as  one  might  state  any  other  fact  in  life. 
That  evening  the  book  was  delivered  to  him.  An  hour 
later  a  messenger  presented  the  package  to  Frederic 
Ames  with  a  note  merely  stating  that  there  had  evi- 
dently been  an  error  and  that  it  seemed  probable  the 
book    belonged    to    him.     He    colored    angrily,    then 

22 


THE    LIBERATORS 

flushed  more  deeply  as  he  felt  that  his  lack  of  taste 
had  merited  the  rebuke.  "The  rank  is  but  the 
guinea's  stamp,"  he  said.  "He  may  be  only  an  Illinois 
farmer,  but  I  think  he  is  the  first  true  aristocrat  I 
have  ever  met." 

A  few  weeks  later  he  called  at  Randolph's  room 
early  one  Saturday  morning.  "This  is  the  needle's 
eye,"  he  said  lightly.  "Can  the  camel  get  in  if  he 
goes  down  on  his  knees  ?" 

Randolph  recognized  the  allusion  and  laughed. 
"Don't  be  an  idiot,  Ames,"  he  said,  and  the  young 
millionaire  was  as  proud  as  if  he  had  won  a  victory, 
as  indeed  he  had. 

The  friendship  between  the  two  lads  never  wavered 
from  that  day.  They  loved  the  same  books,  but  for 
different  reasons.  They  studied  the  same  topics  and 
came  to  different  conclusions.  They  heard  the  same 
lectures  and  made  different  deductions.  They  wrote 
on  the  same  subject,  and  differed  in  their  method  of 
treatment  and  final  decision.  These  very  differences 
added  zest  to  their  companionship,  and  lent  it  an 
infinite  variety  of  interest  that  made  them  "each  the 
other's  best  company."  They  fulfilled  Emerson's 
ideal:  "Friendship  requires  that  rare  mean  betwixt 
likeness  and  unlikeness  that  piques  each  with  the  pres- 
ence of  power  and  consent  in  the  other  party." 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Ames  loved  to  poke  fun  at  the  independent  bearing 
of  Randolph.  "I  believe  in  letting  independence  be 
our  boast,  but  one  doesn't  want  to  carry  it  too  far. 
I  always  wondered  till  I  knew  you  why  your  sainted 
ancestor  of  Roanoke  went  around  croaking,  'Remorse, 
remorse.'  But  I  am  convinced  that  he  died  of  regret 
for  the  pitiless  snubs  he  had  administered  to  wealthy 
but  otherwise  respectable  acquaintances,"  he  said  to 
Randolph  once,  when  that  young  man  was  hesitating 
about  accepting  a  slight  favor  from  him. 

In  the  classroom  there  was  obvious  pleasure  on  the 
part  of  both  professors  and  students  when  the  two 
young  men  could  be  drawn  into  open  battle ;  but  no 
matter  how  hotly  they  might  discuss  a  subject,  they 
never  allowed  the  personal  'element  to  enter,  and 
would  be  seen  afterward  tramping  off  together,  some- 
times continuing  the  argument  and  sometimes  amic- 
ably discussing  the  last  play  they  had  seen  or  the 
latest  new  book. 

Professor  Weyman  delighted  in  these  two  pupils, 
and  publicly  and  privately  pitted  them  against  each 
other,  when,  like  skilful  swordsmen,  each  parried  the 
other  so  completely  that  if  blows  were  to  be  struck 
they  had  to  come  from  the  good  professor  himself. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  when  Randolph,  Ames 
and  the  professor  were  alone,  the  young  men  were  en- 

24 


THE    LIBERATORS 

gaged  in  a  spirited  discussion  of  class  rule  in  the  gov- 
ernments of  the  world,  and  Ames  was  denouncing 
socialistic  teachings  as  inimical  to  good  government. 
The  professor  interrupted  them : 

"You  young  men  must  not  allow  phrases  or  preju- 
dices to  influence  your  conclusions  on  these  important 
subjects.  One  of  the  defects  in  the  popular  discussion 
of  them  is  a  confusion  of  terms.  'All  civilized  govern- 
ments are  more  or  less  socialistic.  The  limitation  of 
a  day's  labor  by  law,  the  regulation  of  the  speed  of 
vehicles  and  trains  in  cities,  sanitary  legislation,  gov- 
ernmental inspection  of  buildings,  government  control 
of  the  Post  Office,  and  other  similar  arrangements,  are 
socialistic  in  their  nature.  The  Mosaic  laws  were 
strongly  tinged  with  socialism,  when  they  compelled 
the  return  of  land  in  the  year  of  jubilee  which  had 
been  sold  by  reason  of  poverty,  the  setting  free  of 
slaves  at  the  same  time,  the  forgiveness  of  debt  and 
the  prohibition  of  interest.'  " 

"But  I  mean  the  advocacy  of  a  complete  govern- 
mental system  of  socialism,"  interposed  Ames. 

"Oh,  that  matter  is  largely  speculative,  as  no  govern- 
ment has  ever  tried  the  experiment  in  its  entirety. 
New  Zealand  has  probably  come  nearer  to  it  than  has 
any  other  country.  In  Germany  and  France  many 
socialists  accept  the  system  of  Karl  Marx,  which  un- 

25 


THE    LIBERATORS 

dertakes  to  cover  the  entire  realm  of  government  with 
a  scientific  plan  of  socialism.  In  this  country 
there  is  much  misapprehension  concerning  the  doctrines 
taught  by  the  most  enlightened  socialists,  only  part  of 
whose  teachings  are  at  all  applicable  to  our  form  of 
government,  and  those  form  a  small  part  only  of  the 
system  of  any  group  of  socialists.  There  is  nothing 
revolutionary  about  the  teachings  of  most  of  the 
great  writers  on  socialism ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they 
understand  that  it  must  be  a  matter  of  evolution  and 
conscience  which  shall  eventually  give  the  lower 
classes  of  society  the  opportunity  and  protection  to 
which  they  are  entitled.  Indeed,  few  socialists  have 
ever  used  such  strong  language  as  that  of  John  Stuart 
Mill,  which  you  will  recall :  'If  the  bulk  of  the 
human  race  are  always  to  remain  as  at  present,  slaves 
to  toil  in  which  they  have  no  interest  and  therefore 
feel  no  interest — drudging  from  early  morning  till 
late  at  night  for  bare  necessities  and  with  all  the  in- 
tellectual and  moral  deficiencies  which  that  implies — 
without  resources  either  in  mind  or  feeling — untaught, 
for  they  cannot  be  better  taught  than  fed ;  selfish,  for 
all  their  thoughts  are  required  for  themselves;  with- 
out interests  or  sentiments  as  citizens  and  members  of 
society,  and  with  a  sense  of  injustice  rankling  in  their 
minds,    equally   for   what   they   have   not   and   what 

26 


THE    LIBERATORS 

others  have ;  I  know  not  what  there  is  which  should 
make  a  person  of  any  capacity  of  reason  concern  him- 
self about  the  destinies  of  the  human  race.'  " 

"Can  that  condition  be  overcome  by  the  theories  of 
the  socialists?"  asked  Ames. 

"Not  by  the  theory  of  the  dreamers  among  them, 
and  perhaps  no  system  has  been  offered  by  any  person 
by  which  such  condition  can  be  completely  remedied. 
The  best  we  can  do  is  to  take  efficient  steps  to  meet 
and  overcome  the  evils  of  society,  as  they  develop 
from  time  to  time.  It  is  natural  for  the  ruling  classes 
to  become  oppressive,  whether  those  classes  are 
hedged  about  with  the  power  of  hereditary  royalty,  or 
whether  they  rule  by  force  of  wealth  and  control  gov- 
ernmental functions  by  corruption.  What  were  you 
going  to  say,  George?" 

"I  was  thinking,"  the  young  man  answered,  ^'of 
what  Buckle  says — that  'there  is  no  instance  on  record 
of  any  class  possessing  power  without  abusing  it,'  and 
wondering  if  it  must  always  be  so." 

"But  is  it  so?"  asked  Ames  quickly.  "Have  not 
the  greatest  benefactors  of  the  race  been  men  of 
power  to  see  and  to  do  what  others  could  not?  Did 
not  Fulton  and  Watt  and  Morse  and  Edison  and  the 
great  railway  builders  possess  power  without  abusing 
it?" 

27 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  professor  smiled.  "The  perfect  form  of  gov- 
ernment is  always  the  autocracy,  given  the  perfect 
autocrat,  and  Buckle  does  not  refer  to  individuals, 
but  to  classes.  Surely  I  need  not  tell  you  that  the 
classes  in  control  of  the  large  industrial  enterprises  m 
this  country,  at  least,  are  not  above  the  charge  of 
abusing  their  privileges." 

"Then  you  don't  think  that  these  men,  these  corpora- 
tions, have  the  right  to  organize  and  control  these  in- 
dustries?" asked  Ames,  as  if  he  were  listening  to  a 
new  economic  heresy. 

"Most  assuredly  they  have  the  right  to  do  so  under 
our  laws,  and  the  only  question  to  consider  in  that 
connection  is  their  relation  to  government  and  the 
proper  performance  of  the  functions  thereof.  When 
either  of  the  main  purposes  of  government — protec- 
tion and  freedom — is  interfered  with,  or  seemingly 
menaced  by  these  industrial  combinations,  then  or- 
ganized government  should  adopt  such  effective  meas- 
ures as  are  necessary  to  preserve  its  objects  undefiled 
and  with  their  full  power  of  operation.  What  would  be 
the  most  efficient  laws  in  that  behalf  form  the  really 
vital  issues  of  our  politics  to-day.  One  fault  of 
these  combinations  is  that  they  are  construing  tem- 
porary privileges,  granted  to  them  by  the  public,  as 
permanent  rights  and  personal  property." 

28 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Doesn't  Mill  himself  offer  the  only  remedy  there 
is  for  the  sad  condition  of  society  which  he  pictures?" 
asked  Randolph.  "He  says  that  possibly  patriotism 
will  do  the  work,  and  that  'education,  habit  and  the 
cultivation  of  the  sentiments  will  make  a  common  man 
dig  or  weave  for  his  country  as  readily  as  fight  for 
his  country.'  " 

"Of  course  patriotism  is  the  hope  of  mankind  in 
all  progressive  political  movements,"  replied  the  pro- 
fessor. "But  the  historic  apathy  of  the  people  must 
be  reckoned  with.  These  are  questions  that  concern 
the  honesty  of  the  nation,  and  Edward  Carpenter,  the 
Tolstoi  of  England,  splendidly  epitomizes  the  subject: 
'It  were  well  to  consider  whether  possibly  the  fate  of 
a  great  nation  may  not  very  profoundly  center  around 
the  question  of  honesty  of  its  life.  The  difficulty  is 
that  to  many — and  to  whole  classes — mere  honesty 
seems  such  a  small  matter.  If  it  were  only  some 
great  benevolent  institution  to  recommend.  But  this 
is  like  Naaman's  case  in  the  Bible — to  merely  bathe 
in  Jordan  and  make  yourself  clean — is  really  too  un- 
dignified.' " 


29 


Chapter  III. 

In  tales  of  this  kind  the  era  in  which  they  are  laid 
is  important.  And  as  this  story  concerns  both  individ- 
ual and  collective  society,  the  course  of  events  points 
the  hour  with  more  significance  than  would  the  hands 
of  the  clock.  No  intelligent  reference  can  be  made 
to  modern  society  without  emphasizing  those  occur- 
rences which  relate  to  politics  and  women,  and  no 
outline  of  social  progress  can  be  honestly  undertaken 
which  does  not  comprehend  their  influence. 

Some  more  or  less  distinguished  foreigner  has  said 
that  politics  and  women  are  the  chief  topics  of  dis- 
cussion in  America. 

In  politics  this  was  the  era  just  succeeding  the  at- 
tempt to  regulate  private  governmental  functions  by 
-public  governmental  functionaries ;  when  the  strange 
doctrine  was  proclaimed  that  the  chartered  right  to  do 
the  nation's  transportation  by  private  persons  could 
only  be  protected  in  all  of  its  pristine  privacy  and  free- 
dom by  setting  over  the  task  minions  of  the  govern- 
ment without  special  knowledge  of  or  skill  in  the  en- 
terprise. It  was  just  after  that  well-remembered 
and  strenuous  period  when  the  laws  of  to-day  regu- 
lated the  regulation  laws  of  yesterday,  and  others  were 

30 


THE    LIBERATORS 

proclaimed  for  the  morrow  to  regulate  those  of  to-day ; 
when  congressional  enactments  piled  upon  each  other 
like  Alaskan  snowdrifts,  with  such  rapidity  and  to 
such  a  height  as  to  mystify,  bewilder  and  electrify  the 
public  mind  with  the  conviction  that  something  worth 
while  was  continually  doing,  and  that  the  wheels  of 
government,  after  all,  were  not  the  innocuous  and 
rusty  cogs  which  the  people  had  always  imagined 
them  to  be. 

It  was  in  this  fruitful  period  of  legislation  that  many 
trusts  were  dissolved,  and  all  former  trust  articles  im- 
mediately bounded  upward  in  price  after  each  dis- 
solution. This  was  the  period  when,  under  the  tre- 
mendous fire  of  five  hundred  associated  newspaper 
owners,  the  nefarious  paper  trust  was  dissolved. 
And  it  was  during  the  same  period,  and  only 
three  months  later,  that  the  chosen  five  hun- 
dred, banded  together  with  more  power  than 
any  sovereign  of  the  realm  ever  possessed,  met  in 
solemn  conclave  in  New  York  City  to  devise  ways 
and  means  to  circumvent  an  increase  of  thirty  per 
cent,  in  the  cost  of  white  paper  made  by  the  outcast 
and  "dissolved"  elements  of  the  former  trust. 

Public  men  will  remember  this  as  the  era  when  at- 
torneys at  law  were  expelled  from  the  membership 
of  the  United  States   Senate  for  daring  to  practice 

31 


THE    LIBERATORS 

their  profession  in  government  departments,  and  when 
attorneys  in  fact  for  interests  daily  dealing  with  the 
government  were  placed  at  the  head  of  important  com- 
mittees in  the  same  august  assembly. 

Students  of  social  progress  will  recall  it  as  the  abor- 
tive period  of  our  national  social  history,  when  in- 
dividualism was  killed  and  nationalism  was  con- 
temned; when  private  enterprise  was  strangled  and 
public  operation  was  nullified;  when  government 
afforded  neither  freedom  nor  protection  to  the  di- 
verse elements  of  the  American  industrial  system. 

And  in  the  midst  of  all  these  things  an  uncrowned 
king  of  a  great  political  party  returned  from  Europe, 
receiving  the  homage  of  a  conquering  hero  of  old, 
and  boldly  avowing  the  destruction  of  modern  feudal- 
ism; but,  before  another  summer's  sun  shed  its  lustre 
over  mountain  and  plain,  the  king  had  buried  himself 
and  his  sacred  avowal  in  the  uttermost  darkness  of  the 
cave  of  party  expediency. 

The  exact  time  of  which  the  next  chapter  of  this 
story  treats  was  some  five  months  after  the  pendulum 
of  ultra-conservatism  had  swung  to  the  furthermost 
cusp  of  the  political  arc,  sweeping  the  cowardice  and 
vacillation  of  a  great  opposition  party  before  it,  and 
setting  the  seal  of  approval  upon  unrestricted  private 
operation  and  exploitation  of  those  manifold  public 

32 


THE    LIBERATORS 

utility  enterprises  which  had  for  years  performed 
quasi-pubHc  functions  for  the  American  people. 

At  first  enchanted,  then  bewildered,  and  finally  dis- 
gusted with  futile  though  energetic  efforts  at  regula- 
tion ;  benighted  and  befogged  and  befuddled  by  the 
apparent  obstacles  to  the  government  coming  into  its 
own  in  all  of  its  operations,  the  voters  had  determined 
to  give  individual  enterprise  one  more  trial,  and  had 
elected  a  President  and  a  Congress  for  that  avowed 
purpose. 

It  was  just  prior  to  this  last  event  that  social  New- 
port was  set  agog  by  two  events  of  tremendous  im- 
portance to  the  high-tensioned  life  of  that  self-ordained 
"Smart  Set"  of  American  society.  One  was  the  ad- 
vent of  a  Russian  countess,  who  took  certain  of  the 
habitues  of  that  elegant  resort  by  storm,  as  much  by 
the  splendor  of  her  frocks  and  the  picturesqueness  of 
her  lingerie  as  by  the  magic  of  her  title.  The  other  was 
the  dethroning  of  a  great  and  powerful  "railway  king," 
for  the  all-sufficient  reason  that  his  wife,  a  recognized 
social  queen,  had  refused  to  introduce  into  her  charmed 
circle  the  daughters  of  another  and  more  powerful 
"railway  king,"  whose  progeny  had  ambitions  of  their 
own.  For,  be  it  known,  American  feudalism  had 
carried  the  titles  of  commercial  rank  one  grade  higher 
than  did  the  mediaeval  institution. 


33 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  date  of  these  events  having  been  definitely 
fixed,  it  only  remains  to  note  their  effect. 

It  has  happened  many  times  in  the  affairs  of  man- 
kind that  important  questions  of  state  are  least  settled 
when  they  appear  to  be  most  settled,  and  this  particu- 
lar reactionary  political  movement  bore  within  its 
wings  the  germs  that  were  destined  to  develop  into 
the  most  powerful,  as  well  as  the  most  progressive, 
political  revolution  ever  witnessed  on  the  Western 
continent. 

Several  world-wide  events  of  considerable  moment 
were  happening,  which  aided  in  keeping  alive  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  in  the  breasts  of  the  multitude.  In 
the  souls  of  the  few  the  embers  never  grew  dim, 
whatever  tricks  blind  fortune  or  time-serving  politi- 
cians might  play.  Woman's  suffrage  was  being  cham- 
pioned by  leading  statesmen  in  Great  Britain,  Norway, 
Sweden  and  Denmark,  and  in  the  great  Eastern  States 
of  America  a  mighty  effort  was  being  made  to  give 
women  their  natural  and  inalienable  political  rights — 
the  rights  which  years  before  had  been  recognized  by 
the  men  of  Colorado,  Utah,  Idaho  and  Wyoming. 

Standing  solidly  against  the  movement,  as  against 
all  other  progressive  legislation,  were  the  great  private 
transportation  and  industrial  combinations  of  the 
United  States  that  were  thriving  on  the  tributes  of  a 

34 


THE    LIBERATORS 

government  which  they  had  no  difficulty  in  controlling 
under  existing  conditions.  The  contest  with  these 
elements  in  the  presidential  election  had  aroused  more 
general  public  interest  than  had  been  taken  in  Ameri- 
can political  affairs  since  the  Civil  War.  With  great 
deftness  these  interests  appealed  to  "American  Con- 
servatism" and  to  the  maintenance  of  "Individualism" 
in  all  business  enterprises,  while  with  unparalleled 
skill  they  tightened  their  grip  upon  all  departments 
and  functions  of  government. 

Scarcely  had  the  new  President  been  inaugurated, 
when  tracts  and  pamphlets  began  to  appear,  a  few  of 
which  bore  resemblance  to  the  brilliant  essays  of  Paine 
and  Rousseau,  a  century  and  a  quarter  before,  under 
political  conditions  that  were  even  more  similar  than 
were  the  tracts. 

Public  questions  became  topics  for  fashionable  dis- 
cussion, and  American  dinners  became  more  and  more 
like  English  ones  in  this  respect.  Literature  took  on 
the  political  hue,  and  for  a  time  history  supplanted 
fiction.  Madame  de  Maintenon  was  temporarily  more 
attractive  to  the  American  woman  of  fashion  than  was 
the  heroine  of  the  latest  novel  or  the  favorite 
one  of  the  classics.  The  celebrated  salons  from 
Aspasia  to  Madame  de  Stael  had  an  engaging 
interest.    It  was  suddenly  discovered  that  "The  New 

35 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Woman"  began  with  Sappho,  and  that  Zenobia,  Hy- 
patia,  CorneHa,  Marcella,  Paula,  Matilda,  Mary  Woll- 
stonecraft,  Harriet  Taylor,  Hannah  Moore,  George 
Eliot,  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  and  Elizabeth  Cady 
Stanton  were  but  the  prototypes  of  aroused  and  spirit- 
ualized present-day  women. 

Among  the  youth  of  the  nation  the  masterpieces  of 
Henry,  Webster,  Clay  and  Lincoln  became  popular, 
and  were  declaimed  with  electric  effect  from  the  plat- 
forms of  district  schools.  This  spirit  entered  the  col- 
leges and  universities,  and  the  predominant  studies 
were  sociological  and  historical  in  their  nature.  The 
undercurrent  of  feeling  was  so  marked,  although  in- 
definite of  purpose,  that  the  letter  of  Dumas  to  Tolstoi, 
written  some  sixteen  years  previously,  might  well  have 
described  this  progressive  movement  in  the  United 
States : 

"The  spiritual  movement  one  recognizes  on  all  sides, 
and  which  so  many  naive  and  ambitious  men  expect  to 
be  able  to  direct,  will  be  absolutely  humanitarian. 
Mankind,  which  does  nothing  moderately,  is  about  to 
be  seized  with  a  frenzy,  a  madness  of  love.  This  will 
not,  of  course,  happen  smoothly,  or  all  at  once ;  it  will 
involve  misunderstandings — even  sanguinary  ones, 
perchance — so  trained  and  so  accustomed  have  we 
been  to  hatred,  even  by  those,  sometimes,  whose  mis- 

36 


THE    LIBERATORS 

sion  it  was  to  teach  us  to  love  one  another.  But  it  is 
evident  that  this  law  of  brotherhood  must  be  accom- 
plished some  day,  and  I  am  convinced  that  the  time  is 
commencing  when  our  desire  for  its  accomplishment 
will  become  irresistible." 


Z7 


Chapter  IV. 

Although  the  friendship  between  Frederic  Ames 
and  George  Randolph  grew  steadily,  it  was  not  until 
the  Easter  vacation  of  their  junior  year  in  the  law 
school  that  Frederic  prevailed  upon  his  chum  to  go 
home  with  him  for  a  visit.  Randolph  had  persistently 
refused  all  invitations,  even  this  one,  and  they  were 
arguing  it  over  when  Professor  Weyman  entered  the 
room.     Frederic  appealed  to  him, 

"It  is  his  wretched  Southern  pride  and  his  miserable 
Western  independence,"  Frederic  explained  to  the  pro- 
fessor. "I  don't  see  why  he  should  refuse  to  associate 
with  me.  I  have  just  as  many  ancestors  as  he  has, 
even  if  none  of  them  were  in  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, and  my  mother  is  an  F.  F.  V.  Don't  you 
think  it  is  unreasonable  of  him  to  let  a  mere  prejudice 
stand  between  us?" 

George  flushed  at  the  turning  of  the  tables,  and  the 
professor,  looking  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  young 
men,  said  gravely: 

"I  think  you  should  go  by  all  means,  George.  Never 
miss  an  opportunity  like  this.  Go  and  see  how  the 
other  half  lives."  And  in  the  general  laughter  the 
invitation  was  accepted. 

38 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  house  of  Charles  Henry  Ames,  located  on  Fifth 
Avenue  overlooking  Central  Park,  was  a  triumph  of 
American  art,  as  given  expression  in  architecture.  It 
was  the  culminating  feat  of  that  brilliant  young  archi- 
tect, Spencer  Harding,  who  united  to  his  genius  for 
originality  a  mastery  of  the  skill  and  science  that  had 
given  France  such  splendid  architectural  effects  dur- 
ing the  Renaissance,  and  the  style  of  this  building  was 
adapted  from  the  first  period  of  that  Renaissance. 
The  interior  was  a  perfect  blending  of  design  and  fur- 
nishing, and  there  were  no  startling  rooms  or  gauche 
corners  such  as  mar  many  pretentious  New  York 
homes. 

The  two  young  collegians  arrived  late  in  the  after- 
noon. 

"We'll  hardly  have  time  to  greet  the  family  be- 
fore dressing  for  dinner,"  Frederic  said,  as  they  got  out 
of  the  carriage  which  had  brought  them  from  the  sta- 
tion.    "I  suppose  the  girls  are  here  already." 

The  cordial  welcome  which  George  received  from 
the  father  and  mother  of  his  friend  put  him  at  ease  im- 
mediately, and  in  another  moment  he  was  being  intro- 
duced to  Frederic's  two  sisters,  students  at  Smith  Col- 
lege, tall,  graceful  girls  whose  names,  Margaret  and 
Virginia,  he  already  knew.  As  it  was  nearly  seven 
o'clock  they  remained  only  a  short  time  in  the  large, 

39 


THE    LIBERATORS 

softly  lighted  drawing-room,  and  while  George  talked 
with  Mrs.  Ames  he  heard  Frederic  say : 

"Is  Gertrude  in  New  York  now  ?" 

"Yes,  she's  coming  to  dinner  this  evening,"  one  of 
the  girls  answered. 

As  George  was  dressing,  he  vaguely  wondered  who 
"Gertrude"  was.  She  could  not  be  another  sister,  or 
Frederic  would  have  mentioned  her  before.  He  was 
not  quite  ready  when  his  friend  appeared  at  the  door. 

"Don't  wait  for  me,"  he  said,  struggling  with  a  re- 
fractory collar  button,  "I'll  be  down  in  a  minute." 

When  George  re-entered  the  drawing-room  he  saw 
a  dark-haired,  Junonian  young  woman  in  a  pale  yellow 
gown  standing  near  the  fireplace  and  talking  to  Mr. 
Ames,  who  seemed  to  be  much  interested  in  something 
she  was  telling  him.  When  the  multimillionaire  saw 
the  young  man  he  invited  him  with  a  smile  to  join 
them. 

"Mrs,  Strong,  Mr,  Randolph,  a  college  friend  of 
Frederic's." 

Then  he  left  them  together  and  went  forward  to 
welcome  a  Titian-haired  beauty  in  a  very  low-cut  black 
gown  who  had  just  entered  the  room  and  was  speak- 
ing with  Mrs,  Ames  and  the  young  people. 

"Frederic  wrote  me  about  you  when  I  was  in  Cam- 
bridge," Mrs.  Strong  said  to  Randolph. 

40 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"In  Cambridge?"  He  was  thinking  of  their  Cam- 
bridge. 

"Cambridge,  England,  I  mean.  I  have  been  study- 
ing there  .  .  .  Why,  how  do  you  do,  Esther?"  And 
she  shook  hands  warmly  with  the  red-haired  woman 
who  had  just  come  in.  "I  called  on  you  this  after- 
noon." 

"Yes,  I  got  back  from  Atlantic  City  only  an  hour 
ago. 

Frederic  was  at  her  elbow,  and  introduced  Randolph 
to  Mrs.  Lynn.  Then  the  solemn-faced  English  butler 
appeared.  Mrs.  Ames  graciously  laid  her  jeweled 
hand  on  Randolph's  arm,  and  the  young  Westerner 
went  in  to  dinner  with  the  leader  of  New  York's  social 
world. 

It  was  an  informal  dinner  that  followed  Randolph's 
introduction  into  the  Ames  household,  though  the 
table  was  banked  with  Easter  flowers  and  the  meal 
was  served  with  what  seemed  to  the  young  man  to  be  a! 
great  deal  of  ceremony.  Since  her  three  children  had 
been  in  school  and  college,  Airs.  Ames  had  kept 
the  Christmas  and  Easter  holiday  seasons  sacred  to 
them.  She  sat  this  evening  surrounded  by  the  young 
people,  while  the  two  women  guests  sat  at  the  other  end 
of  the  table,  Mrs.  Strong  on  the  right  and  Mrs.  Lynn 
on  the  left  of  their  host. 

41 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  table  talk  began,  lightly  enough,  with  a  spirited 
discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  the  Yale  and  Har- 
vard football  teams,  for  Yale  had  an  ardent  champion 
even  in  this  Harvard  party  in  the  person  of  Margaret 
Ames,  who  delighted,  for  reasons  unavowed,  to  wear 
the  Yale  colors  whenever  a  contest  was  on. 

"How  delightful  it  was  to  see  the  old-time  life  and 
style  at  Atlantic  City,"  came  from  the  other  end  of  the 
table,  in  the  rather  high-pitched  voice  of  Mrs.  Lynn. 
Though  Randolph  did  not  learn  these  facts  until  later, 
this  lady  had  recently  been  divorced  from  a  Pittsburg 
steel  magnate,  and  what  she  referred  to  as  her  "allow- 
ance" was  amply  consonant  with  the  financial  position 
of  her  one-time  husband.  "Last  year,"  the  high  voice 
went  on,  "it  was  like  following  a  hearse  to  go  down 
the  boardwalk,  so  dejected  were  the  few  people  of  our 
world  who  were  there ;  but  this  year  everything  is 
changed.  The  hotels  were  never  so  full,  and  everyone 
seems  gay  and  happy.  I  do  hope  we  shall  never  have 
another  strenuous  President,  to  upset  business  and  to 
pauperize  all  the  people  who  really  own  the  country !" 

"Have  no  fear  of  that,"  answered  Mr.  Ames,  with 
an  earnestness  that  seemed  to  come  from  deep  feeling. 
"The  American  people  are  too  sensible  to  permit  any 
man  to  throttle  private  enterprise,  or  to  interfere  with 
the  vast  business  operations  of  the  country.     Regula- 

42 


THE    LIBERATORS 

tion!  What  has  it  all  amounted  to?  For  four  years 
we  have  been  bamboozled  and  terrified  with  all  sorts  of 
wild  threats  to  regulate  our  business,  and  law  after 
law  was  enacted  for  that  purpose ;  but  what  good  ever 
came  to  the  people  from  these  laws?  They  stopped 
railway  building  in  the  United  States,  forced  stocks 
down  to  bankrupt  prices,  precipitated  a  financial  crisis, 
gave  the  American  people  the  worst  transportation 
service  in  some  sections  of  the  country  of  any  people 
in  the  world,  led  into  the  wholesale  slaughter  of  rail- 
way passengers  because  we  could  not  afford  to  keep 
up  our  equipment  and  roadbed  under  this  constant 
menace — and  still  not  a  fraction  of  one  per  cent,  has 
been  saved  to  the  people  in  freight  and  passenger  rates, 
taking  the  country  as  a  whole  and  the  total  business  of 
all  the  railways.  We  were  compelled  to  retaliate,  and, 
of  course,  we  furnished  the  money  that  assured  the 
result  at  the  last  election."  And  his  fine  gray  eyes 
flashed  defiant  sparks. 

Randolph,  watching  and  listening  to  him,  realized 
that  he  was  sitting  within  a  few  feet  of  one  of  the  most 
powerful  rulers  of  the  world.  Charles  Henry  Ames, 
unlike  some  of  his  associates  in  the  financial  world,  was 
a  man  whose  presence  was  dynamic.  He  was  tall  and 
strong,  with  iron-gray  hair  and  closely  cropped  mus- 
tache ;  but  the  most  striking  feature  of  his  face  was  the 

43 


THE    LIBERATORS 

heavy  black  eyebrows,  untouched  by  the  frosts  of  fifty- 
three  years,  which  almost  met  over  his  deep-set  eyes. 

"New  York  society  has  reason  to  jubilate,"  said  Mrs. 
Lynn,  "for  surely  it  has  been  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  for 
the  past  two  years.  I  have  never  seen  so  many  closed 
houses  along  Fifth  Avenue  as  during-  that  time.  I  sup- 
pose the  owners  have  lived  in  Rome  or  Florence  or 
Paris,  for  there  have  been  many  advantages  in  a 
foreign  residence  latterly,  besides  the  money  saved  in 
expenses ;  and  who  that  could  would  not  have  flown 
away  from  all  of  this  continuous  agitation,  in  which 
one's  best  friends  have  been  denounced  and  hunted  as 
criminals !" 

By  this  time  every  person  was  listening  to  the  dis- 
cussion that  was  going  on  at  the  host's  end  of  the 
table.  Mrs.  Strong  looked  toward  Randolph  and 
Frederic. 

"I  see  by  this  morning's  paper,"  she  said,  "that  Mrs. 
Marshall  Glen,  the  rich  Chicago  widow,  is  planning  to 
educate  her  two  sons  for  a  public  career.  I  sincerely 
hope  that  she  has  well-defined  and  patriotic  ideas  as  to 
what  a  public  career  for  a  young  man  in  the  United 
States  should  be." 

"Well,  Madame  Aspasia,"  and  Mr.  Ames  smiled  in- 
dulgently at  the  young  woman  on  his  right,  "what  is 
your  idea  of  a  public  career  for  a  young  man  ?    What 

44 


THE    LIBERATORS 

new  notions  have  you  developed  since  your  recent 
course  of  lectures  under  the  great  professor  at  Cam- 
bridge?" 

Randolph  was  all  attention.  Who  was  this  dis- 
tinguished-looking young  woman  in  whom  intellect 
and  will  were  so  markedly  the  dominant  qualities  ?  She 
did  not  look  more  than  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 

Frederic,  noticing  Randolph's  interest  and  curiosity, 
said  sotto  voce :  "Listen,  and  you  will  hear  doctrines 
that  will  make  Weyman  seem  like  a  cooing  dove." 

Mrs.  Strong  hesitated  a  moment,  and  a  fleeting 
shadow  of  sadness  passed  over  her  face. 

"I  wish  I  were  an  eloquent  public  speaker  or  a  bril- 
liant writer,  and  I  would  answer  your  question  in  a 
way  that  would  do  the  world  a  vast  amount  of  good. 
I  would  gladly  give  ten  years  of  my  life  for  the  ability 
to  write  just  one  book  as  well  as  George  Eliot  wrote  her 
poorest,  that  I  might  portray  the  utter  serfdom  of 
Americans  in  public  life,  and  point  the  glorious  road 
out  of  bondage  for  future  generations.  But  you  know 
my  sentiments  so  well,  Mr.  Ames,  that  you  can  hardly 
be  in  earnest  in  asking  for  my  opinions  on  this  subject." 
Her  large  violet  eyes  shone  with  feeling. 

"Indeed,  I  want  to  hear  them.  Although  since  the 
heresies  of  '96  were  preached  by  the  silver-tongued 
orator  of  the  plains,  we  have  trained  both  political 

45 


THE    LIBERATORS 

parties  to  adopt  more  rational  views  of  public  ques- 
tions," he  chaffingly  answered, 

"That  is  just  it.  Your  training  of  both  political 
parties  to  your  so-called  'rational'  viewpoint  is  the  root 
of  most  of  our  governmental  evils.  But  if  you  really 
want  my  opinions,  I  will  give  you  my  best  assortment 
— and  all  quite  honest,  I  assure  you."  Her  manner 
was  half  playful,  but  there  was  a  tone  of  earnestness  in 
her  voice. 

"Don't  be  too  serious,  Aspasia;  but  I  would  really 
like  to  know  how  your  English  environment  affected 
your  views  of  American  politics." 

"It  did  not  have  the  slightest  effect  except  to  in- 
tensify my  convictions.  I  am  glad  our  American 
women  are  beginning  to  take  an  interest  in  political 
subjects,  and  I  hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  they  will  understand  them  as  well  and  will 
enter  into  political  contests  as  actively  as  do  the 
high-class  English  women.  Government  will  be  im- 
measurably benefited  and  social  functions  will  lose 
much  of  their  inanition.  Even  now  one  can  see  the  im- 
proved health  of  American  women  of  fashion,  for  the 
brain  after  all  is  the  sanitary  storehouse  of  the  body. 
It  is  little  wonder  that  indigestion  became  a  national 
disease,  when  one  remembers  the  frivolous  conversa- 
tions that  used  to  characterize  formal  dinners.     But 

46 


THE    LIBERATORS 

most  of  the  men  are  still  derelict  in  performing  their 
political  duties.  Vaudeville  and  trashy  novels  still 
appeal  to  them  much  more  than  do  political  discussions, 
however  vital  the  pending  issues.  All  of  which  serves 
the  purposes  of  the  Captains  of  Industry."  And  she 
smiled  at  Mr.  Ames.  "Perhaps  that  very  indifferent 
condition  of  the  male  mind  is  a  result  of  systematic 
popular  training  by  the  same  all-powerful  captains," 
she  added. 

"There  are  two  young  men  at  this  part  of  the  table, 
Gertrude,  who  do  not  belong  to  the  vaudeville  class, 
and  who  would  very  much  like  to  hear  your  views  on 
the  public  career  question ;  for  you  know  we  shall  soon 
be  thrown  on  a  cold  and  pitiless  world  to  make  a  career 
for  ourselves,"  said  Frederic,  moved  thereto  by  Ran- 
dolph's absorbed  interest  in  the  original  theme. 

"An  honorable  public  career  for  a  young  man,  under 
existing  conditions,  in  our  beloved  country !  There  is 
none  possible,  and  no  one  knows  this  better  than  do  the 
real  rulers  of  this  country,"  looking  at  Mr.  Ames. 
"None  has  been  possible  since  the  Civil  War.  Follow- 
ing that  conflict,  the  country  went  mad  over  money 
getting.  The  barriers  were  down,  and  the  gold-be- 
crazed  horde  swept  over  valley  and  mountain  and  plain, 
destroying  what  they  could  not  carry  away,  and  blight- 
ing the  whole  country  worse  than  any  swarm  of  lo- 

47 


THE    LIBERATORS 

custs  ever  did  a  field  of  grain.  It  was  far  more  dis- 
astrous than  any  physical  blight,  for  it  depraved  the 
minds  and  corrupted  the  morals  of  generations  of 
Americans.  Where  are  there  any  millionaire  Americans 
who  have  not  made  their  wealth  out  of  the 
favors  and  protection  of  the  government,  and  from  the 
necessities  and  at  the  expense  of  the  multitude  ?  And 
where  is  there  one  of  them  who  will  stand  forth  and 
say:  'The  system  is  wrong.  My  wealth- — my  energy 
— my  life  shall  be  given  to  right  it.  I  realize  its  turpi- 
tude. My  wealth  is  a  rebuke  to  its  operations,  and  I — 
I,  a  freeman — will  help  all  others  to  be  free !'  "  The 
great  violet  eyes  were  deepest  sapphire  now,  and  their 
gaze  was  fixed  on  the  young  men. 

"Now  who  would  think,"  piped  the  thin  voice  of  Mrs. 
Lynn,  "that  we  were  listening  to  one  of  the  three  or 
four  richest  women  in  America  attacking  her  own 
class!" 

Randolph  had  wondered,  with  deepest  admiration 
for  the  young  woman,  how  she  dared  to  say  these 
things  here.  He  did  not  know  even  yet  that  she  was 
one  of  the  largest  owners  in  the  Ames  enterprises. 

Mr.  Ames  started  to  speak,  but  Mrs.  Strong  put  out 
her  little  hand. 

"I  know  what  you  would  say,"  she  went  on.  "It  is  the 
same  old  question  that  is  asked  every  American  voter, 

48 


THE    LIBERATORS 

when  attempts  at  reform  are  made:  'Where  else  are 
the  masses  of  the  people  so  well  off?'  And  the  answer 
is  a  ready  one.  We  are  a  young  nation,  and  we  have 
tremendous  natural  resources  to  draw  upon;  but  they 
are  disappearing  rapidly,  and  then,  look  out  that  we 
are  not  the  poorest  people  on  earth — unless  government 
conditions  are  greatly  changed.  Even  now,  leave  out 
of  consideration  the  wealth  of  two  thousand  of  the  rich- 
est families  in  America,  and  apportion  the  balance 
among  the  remaining  eighty-five  millions  of  people,  and 
see  what  per  capita  of  wealth  you  get.  You  know  bet- 
ter than  any  person,  dear  Mr.  Ames,  how  you  railroad 
magnates  are  making  and  breaking  whole  communities 
of  farmers,  how  you  are  destroying  cities  and  towns 
that  were  considered  permanent,  how  the  process  of 
capitalization  and  recapitalization  of  corporations,  and 
the  tributes  of  government  protection,  are  each  year 
draining  more  and  more  the  real  per  capita  wealth  of 
the  nation,  and  more  and  more  centering  all  money  in 
the  hands  of  the  few.  Let  a  crop  failure  or  a  gold 
famine  strike  this  country  for  but  one  year,  and  then 
you  will  see  what  becomes  of  your  boasted  prosperity 
of  the  masses,  which  it  should  be  the  duty  of  govern- 
ment to  protect  from  all  forms  of  disaster,  the  same 
as  it  protects  your  property  and  your  rights. 
"But  this  is  the  material  phase  of  the  question,"  she 

49 


THE    LIBERATORS 

concluded,  "which  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  right 
and  the  wrong  theory  of  government,  and  there  is  only 
one  such  right  and  one  such  wrong  theory." 

Mr.  Ames  was  smiling  half  cynically  and  half  good 
naturedly,  but  the  others  were  listening  with  rapt  at- 
tention. 

"And  pray,  which  theory  is  the  United  States  work- 
ing under  ?"  asked  Frederic. 

"How  can  you  ask?"  replied  Mrs.  Strong.  "It  is  a 
good  time  for  a  new  edition  of  Tom  Paine's  'Common 
Sense.'  There  is  so  much  confusion  of  all  terms  re- 
lating to  government,  and  such  a  misapprehension  of 
the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  that  the  crystal  clearness 
of  Paine  would  have  a  wholesome  effect  upon  our  peo- 
ple, I  am  sure. 

"A  career  for  a  young  man !"  she  went  on.  "Poor 
Mrs.  Marshall  Glen!  I  presume  she  imagines  that  if 
her  sons  can  enter  the  State  Legislature,  and  then  the 
Lx)wer  House  at  Washington,  and  finally  become  Sena- 
tors, it  will  be  a  great  honor  to  the  family,  and  a  most 
precious  heirloom  for  their  children.  But  it  will  be 
a  lasting  stigma  to  them  and  theirs  to  go  into  public 
life  the  way  young  men  are  compelled  to  enter  now, 
and  they  will  all  too  soon  realize  it  when  they  feel  the 
galling  yoke  of  the  party  boss  around  their  necks ;  when 
they  are  told  they  must  support  every  vile  measure  for 

5c 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  enrichment  of  the  special  interests  that  a  corrupt 
coterie  of  party  leaders  present  in  the  name  of  'The 
Party,'  and  which  is  privately  branded  with  the  pollut- 
ing iron  of  Bribery — either  direct  and  positive,  or 
through  party  campaign  contributions. 

"In  what  hamlet,  or  precinct,  or  State  in  America  do 
you  capitalists" — looking  at  Mr.  Ames — "permit  a  con- 
stable, or  a  legislator,  or  a  judg^e,  or  a  governor,  to  be 
nominated  or  elected,  without  your  approval,  and  where 
is  there  a  perfectly  independent  and  fearless  official?" 

"But  how  about  the  reformers?"  asked  Mr.  Ames 
smiHngly.  "You  know  there  are  a  few  of  them  in 
office." 

"How  long  do  reformers  stay  in  office  ?"  she  quickly 
retorted.  "And  how  long  does  one  of  these  reform 
waves  last,  with  the  relentless  pack  of  subsidized  party 
hounds  chasing  the  independent  voter  to  quarry  with 
the  threats  of  'party  ostracism,'  and  with  the  commer- 
cial menace  which  the  great  industrial  combinations 
can  constantly  hold  over  every  business  man's  head? 
The  men  of  money  in  America  have  all  political  parties 
under  their  control,  and,  directly  and  indirectly,  they 
are  determined  to  use  the  government  for  their  pur- 
poses, whether  those  purposes  be  for  the  honor  of 
official  title  or  for  their  further  enrichment." 

"But  the  'strenuous  President  ?' "  suggested  Mrs. 

51 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Ames,  from  the  other  end  of  the  table.  "He  was  suc- 
cessful, as  well  as  honest,  in  most  of  his  efforts,  was 
he  not?" 

"Yes,  aside  from  his  misguided  regulation  policy, 
his  administration  will  go  down  in  history  as  one  of 
the  great  eras  of  our  country ;  but  with  it  all,  who  does 
not  feel  a  real  pang  of  humiliation  and  sorrow  that  it 
was  deemed  necessary,  even  to  assure  his  election,  for 
his  managers  to  arrange  with  a  railway  magnate 
to  finance  New  York  State  in  a  great  presiden- 
tial election?  This  President  was  the  bravest 
of  the  brave,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
miserable  restraints  and  obligations  of  a  political  party, 
which  you  Captains  of  Industry" — smiling  at  Mr. 
Ames — "own  and  control,  because  you  finance  it  (and 
no  political  party  with  its  paraphernalia  of  bosses  and 
sub-bosses  can  long  exist  without  being  financed),  who 
can  say  how  differently  he  might  have  directed  the 
tremendous  power  of  his  administration?  As  it  is,  he 
knows,  as  well  as  every  other  student  of  public  affairs 
knows,  that  he  did  not  reach  the  root  of  governmental 
evils  by  any  means." 

"Gad,  I  had  no  idea  Cambridge  could  make  anyone 
so  rabid  in  so  short  a  time,"  interposed  Mr.  Ames, 
with  a  light  laugh. 

52 


THE    LIBERATORS 

She  met  his  good-natured  jeer  with  a  smile,  and 
then  added: 

"But  you  are  mistaken,  Mr.  Ames,  if  you  think  the 
recent  election  means  anything  more  than  a  breathing 
spell  for  the  people,  before  they  shatter  the  degrading 
bonds  of  modern  feudalism,  which  institution  is  in- 
finitely worse  than  the  old  one  ever  was,  and  which 
will  make  slaves — not  serfs,  but  slaves — of  the  mil- 
lions, if  allowed  to  exist. 

"The  people  have  been  pursued  by  so  many  and  such 
untiring  demagogic  and  partisian  Furies  that.  Orestes- 
like, they  became  crazed  for  an  hour's  repose.  It  may 
be  a  dangerous,  or  even  a  fatal  rest,  but  the  signs  of 
the  times  indicate  that  when  they  awaken,  the  genuine 
Furies  will  be  pursuing  the  real  wrongdoers." 

Then  she  turned  her  glance,  half-laughingly,  half- 
apologetically,  toward  Mrs.  Ames. 

"I  am  most  grateful  for  your  kindness  in  listening  to 
me,  and  I  beg  your  pardon  for  imposing  my  views 
upon  you ;  but  Mr,  Ames  knows  my  weakness  when 
started  upon  subjects  that  interest  me.  But  pray," 
turning  again  toward  her  host,  "what  has  happened 
that  you  are  so  tolerant  ?  You  do  not  ordinarily  listen 
with  patience  to  this  sort  of  stuff." 

"I  suppose  it  is  rather  remarkable  that  I  should  get 
wiser  with  age ;  but  the  fact  is,  we  industrial  managers 

S3 


THE    LIBERATORS 

have  not  kept  well  enough  posted  on  what  the  people 
are  thinking  about,  and  the  past  four  years  demon- 
strated that  most  clearly.  I  know  of  no  one,  my  dear 
Aspasia,  who  can  state  the  fallacies  in  the  public 
mind  half  so  clearly  or  strongly  as  you  can,  and  I  am 
honored  to  have  you  take  the  pains  to  enlighten  me. 
But  I  want  to  impose  a  little  further  on  your  good 
nature,  and  ask  you  to  tell  us  how  you  and  your  dear 
disciples  or  teachers,  as  the  case  may  be,  would  remedy 
these  evils  of  government ;  if,  indeed,  they  be  evils," 
and  he  bestowed  his  most  winning  smile  upon  her. 

"Not  now;  but  some  time  I  will  give  you  a  parlor 
lecture  and  tell  you  all  about  it,"  and  she  laughingly 
waved  his  suggestion  aside  and  began  on  the  salad 
course. 

"The  least  you  can  do,  my  dear  Aspasia,  with  your 
views,  is  to  consider  all  your  dividends  'tainted  money,' 
and  give  them  to  some  great  church  or  educational  in- 
stitution."    He  smiled  at  her  with  fatherly  indulgence. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"Never  mind  those  'tainted  dividends.'  I  shall  find 
some  art  of  the  political  alchemist  to  make  them  the 
fairest,  cleanest,  best  dollars  you  ever  gazed  upon." 


54 


Chapter  V. 

"If  you  like  riding,  Mr.  Randolph,  won't  you  join 
Virginia  and  me  to-morrow  morning  for  a  canter  in 
the  park?" 

"I'll  be  very  happy  to  join  you,  Mrs.  Strong.  In  fact, 
I  was  hoping  you  would  ask  me  when  I  heard  you 
make  the  appointment  with  Miss  Virginia."  His  fresh 
young  face  was  alight  with  anticipation. 

They  were  in  the  drawing-room  after  dinner,  and 
horses  had  been  the  topic  of  animated  conversation 
for  some  minutes.  The  learned  young  woman  in  the 
pale  yellow  gown  seemed  to  have  forgotten  entirely 
the  serious  discussion  of  the  dinner  table.  Her  face 
was  bright  with  enthusiasm  as  she  told  them  about  a 
new  saddle  horse  she  had  recently  added  to  her  stable. 

"Gertrude,"  called  Frederic  from  a  nearby  table, 
"come  and  see  this  lobster  of  jointed  Japanese  bronze 
that  Van  Cise  has  sent  Margaret  for  an  Easter  pres- 
ent." And  Randolph  was  left  with  Virginia,  who 
already  interested  him  much  more  than  her  sister. 

Virginia  Ames  was  slight  in  figure  and  somewhat 
above  medium  height,  very  vivacious,  and  her  eyes  and 
face  seemed  to  reflect  the  dreamy  sentiments  of  gen- 
erations of  poets.     Her  whole  person  showed  great 

55 


THE    LIBERATORS 

delicacy  of  constitution.  She  was  not  beautiful, 
according  to  any  orthodox  standard,  but  her  features 
were  regular,  her  forehead  the  artistic  type  that  peeps 
from  the  folds  of  the  turban  on  Reni's  "Beatrice 
Cenci,"  her  lips  and  teeth  of  perfect  mold,  and  when 
her  great  fathomless  brown  eyes  lit  up  with  enthusiasm 
over  a  favorite  book  or  a  still  more  favorite  horse,  she 
was  more  than  beautiful — she  was  fascinating. 

She  asked  Randolph  all  sorts  of  questions  about  the 
great  West,  and  he,  in  turn,  asked  her  about  Rome, 
and  Southern  Italy,  where  she  had  spent  a  part  of  two 
seasons. 

"Have  you  ever  crossed  the  ocean,  Mr.  Randolph  ?" 

"Alas,  no!" 

"I,  myself,  have  crossed  only  four  times ;  that  is,  I 
have  been  over  and  back  twice ;  but  on  the  voyage  home 
the  last  time  I  saw  a  scene  I  shall  never  forget.  It  was 
late  in  September,  and  we  had  had  terrible  storms  for 
the  first  three  days;  but  finally  the  clouds  all  passed 
away  and  the  sun  came  out,  though  the  wind  still  blew 
a  hurricane,  so  that  no  one  would  go  outside.  But  I 
wanted  to  see  a  real  windstorm  on  the  ocean  when 
the  sun  shone,  and  I  went  up,  all  alone,  and  clung  to 
the  topmost  rail,  facing  the  prow.  I  stayed  there  on 
my  knees  for  half  an  hour,  for  the  wind  was  so  strong 
I  dared  not  stand  up  for  fear  of  being  blown  over- 

56 


THn    LIBERATORS 

board.  I  had  heard  people  talk  about  seas  'mountains 
high,'  and  I  saw  them  that  morning,  saw  them  with  the 
bright  sunHght  on  them,  dashing  and  breaking  into 
rainbow  spray  away  above  my  head,  though  I  was 
myself  perched  so  high.  And  then  the  great  green 
hollows  between  the  waves,  greener  than  any  emerald 
I  ever  saw !  Oh,  it  was  wonderful !  I  laughed  and 
cried,  up  there  all  alone,  for  I  never  realized  before 
what  God  could  do  in  the  way  of  splendor.  I  thought 
of  what  it  says  in  Job,  how  the  Lord  spake  out  of  the 
whirlwind." 

Carried  away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  her  narrative, 
her  cheeks  had  become  a  soft,  deep  pink,  and  her  great 
brown  eyes  shone  upon  him.  He  wondered  how  he 
could  have  thought  at  the  first  meeting  that  she  was 
not  beautiful! 

This  tete  a  tete  with  Virginia  was  too  delightful  to 
last,  and  they  were  soon  joined  by  the  others.  The 
drawing-room  was  so  large  that  several  groups  of 
persons  might  have  carried  on  almost  private  conver- 
sations in  it.  Randolph  now  politely  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  other  sister. 

Margaret  was  a  beautiful  girl  of  the  typical  New 
York  type.  Though  older  than  Virginia,  she  was  not 
so  tall,  but  her  carriage  was  more  stately.  Her  hair 
was  of  a  luminous  auburn  hue,  and  the  same  tint  col- 

57 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ored  her  eyebrows  and  eyelashes.  She  had  blue  eyes 
that  seldom  changed  their  expression,  and  a  clear 
transparent  complexion  that  always  remained  the 
same.  As  a  living  picture  she  was  unrivaled,  but 
socially  she  was  rather  indifferent  and  cold. 

Frederic  came  into  his  friend's  room  for  a  ten- 
minute  chat  before  bedtime. 

"Mother  is  charmed  with  you,  George,"  he  said. 
"She  confided  to  me  that  you  reminded  her  of  a  favorite 
Virginia  cousin  of  hers,  of  whom  she  often  speaks ;  and 
beyond  that  there  is  no  compliment  that  Mother  can 
pay.    But  what  do  you  think  of  Gertrude  Strong?" 

"She  is  certainly  a  most  interesting  and  unusual 
woman." 

"The  cleverest  woman  I  ever  met,  and  the  most 
charming.  Fancy  Father  encouraging  anyone  else  to 
talk  to  him  the  way  she  does.  You  know  her  father 
was  an  old  business  associate  of  his,  and  one  of  the 
gfreat  pioneers  in  railway  building  between  St.  Paul 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  her  husband,  who  died  four 
years  ago,  was  the  general  manager  of  the  Ames  Rail- 
way lines  in  the  Northwest.  Her  mother  died  when 
she  was  a  child,  and  Mother  then  offered  to  take  charge 
of  her.  During  the  last  two  years  of  her  father's  life 
she  lived  with  him  in  his  New  York  home.  Now,  of 
course,  she  has  her  own  home,  which  you  will  see  for 

58 


THE    LIBERATORS 

yourself  to-morrow ;  but  much  of  her  time  she  spends 
abroad. 

"Father,  who  is  very  fond  of  her,  gave  her  the 
pseudonym  'Aspasia'  because  of  her  views  on  the  equal 
rights  of  women  in  all  public  matters,  and  her  belief  in 
the  influence  and  power  of  women  in  governmental 
affairs  in  all  ages.  Also,  I  believe,  because  of  her  oft- 
expressed  admiration  of  the  brilliant  salon  of  the  days 
of  'the  glory  that  was  Greece,'  and  of  her  conviction 
that  Aspasia  was  a  good  as  well  as  a  great  woman," 

"Perhaps  I  shall  have  the  privilege  of  hearing  her 
talk  again,"  said  George. 

"You  certainly  will.  She  has  lately  been  taking  a 
course  under  the  great  Cambridge  professor  of  soci- 
ology, and  she  will  probably  compare  notes  with  you ; 
though  she  never  got  those  opinions  of  hers  at  Cam- 
bridge." 

"She  is  rather  terribly  rich,  is  she  not?" 

"Next  to  Father,  she  is  the  largest  stockholder  in 
our  corporations." 

"Strange !"  said  George,  reflectively.  He  was  not 
thinking  of  her  wealth  as  being  strange,  but  of  the 
•theories  as  held  by  the  possessor  of  that  wealth. 


59 


Chapter  VI. 

Charles  Henry  Ames  came  of  an  old  and  distin- 
guished Knickerbocker  family.  For  generations  the 
wealth  of  the  family  had  been  kept  together,  the  eldest 
son  taking  control  of  the  estate  upon  the  death  of  the 
father.  The  Ames  estate  had  grown  richer  with  each 
generation  by  a  very  exact  geometrical  progression. 

Charles  Henry  Ames  was  fifty-three  years  of  age, 
and  possessed  great  vitality  and  an  inexhaustible 
amount  of  energy.  No  such  genius  for  comprehensive 
and  detail  work  had  ever  before  been  known  in  the 
commercial  life  of  America.  He  was  Napoleonic  in 
his  ability  to  command  the  services  of  able  lieutenants, 
and  he  held  with  a  firm  grasp  every  thread  of  the  intri- 
cate and  complicated  skein  of  business  interests  that  he 
controlled.  He  was  always  on  the  lookout  for  ambi- 
tious young  men,  and  whenever  he  found  one  endeav- 
ored to  enlist  him  in  the  service  of  some  of  his  many 
enterprises. 

It  had  been  a  principal  tenet  in  the  creed  of  business 
action  of  each  succeeding  Ames  who  assumed  manage- 
ment of  the  family  aflfairs  that  the  family  fortune  must 
be  doubled  every  fifteen  years ;  and  while  the  fortune 
of  the  first  Ames  who  was  known  to  financial  fame  was 

60 


THE    LIBERATORS 

modest  enough,  the  wealth  of  the  present  family  was 
estimated  at  eight  hundred  milHons, 

To  double  this  vast  sum  was  the  task  set  for  him- 
self by  Charles  Henry  Ames,  and  no  devout  Crusader 
ever  entered  battle  for  the  Holy  Sepulchre  with  more 
religious  zeal  or  fanatical  enthusiasm  than  he  entered 
the  commercial  arena  of  New  York  City.  As  several 
generations  of  knighthood  caused  valor  to  spring  forth 
from  young  men  with  splendid  spontaneity,  so  several 
generations  devoted  to  the  accretion  of  money  had 
transmitted  a  genius  for  the  work  which  baffled  all 
competitors.  It  took  possession  of  the  brain.  It  got 
into  the  bones.  It  controlled  the  circulation  of  the 
blood.  It  furnished  an  all-absorbing  fetish.  To 
accomplish  his  ambition  was  to  him  a  divine  task,  and 
he  had  room  in  his  life  for  no  other  kind  of  worship. 
Yet  he  was  an  exemplary  husband,  a  kind  and  indul- 
gent father,  and,  in  all  private  dealings  and  relations  of 
Hfe,  an  honorable  man.  In  business,  he  permitted  noth- 
ing to  stand  in  the  way  of  success,  and  success  to  him 
was  the  accomplishment  of  the  purpose  of  the  moment, 
with  the  supreme  object  in  view  of  doubling  the  family 
inheritance. 

This  had  been  done  before  by  other  Ameses,  largely 
through  government  favor  in  authorizing  increased 
capitalization  of  those  things  that  are  necessary  to  the 

6i 


THE    LIBERATORS 

physical  existence  or  ordinary  comfort  of  thousands 
of  people,  and  by  compelling  such  people  to  pay  the 
principal  and  interest  of  such  capitalization;  and 
Charles  Henry  Ames  was  not  the  sort  of  man  to  fail 
where  others  had  succeeded. 

The  four  years  of  the  Roosevelt  Regulation  Era  had 
been  most  trying  to  the  patience  and  skill  of  Mr.  Ames. 
He  was  a  devoted  believer  in  the  government  giving 
free  rein  to  all  individual  business  enterprises,  and  he 
was  sincerely  convinced  that  any  other  policy  meant 
stagnation  and  disaster  to  industrial  America.  He 
could  not  understand  on  what  theory  any  government, 
least  of  all  a  republican  form  of  government,  should 
grant  unrestricted  charters  to  corporations  to  carry  on 
particular  lines  of  business,  and  years  afterward,  when 
their  stocks  and  bonds  had  acquired  character  and 
standing  in  every  financial  market  of  the  world,  and 
were  the  property  of  millions  of  people  at  home  and 
abroad,  should  attempt  to  fix  arbitrary  rates  of  charges 
and  otherwise  to  regulate  the  earnings  of  such  cor- 
porations. 

Particularly  did  this  system  of  regulation  appear 
unfair  when  the  government  had  not  one  dollar  of 
capital  invested  in  such  enterprises,  and  undertook  to 
set  over  men  of  such  transcendent  abilities  as  were 
Mr.  Ames  and  others  specially  trained  and  skilled  in 

62 


THE    LIBERATORS 

their  work,  inept  political  parasities,  and  other  men, 
who  were  able  enough  in  some  business  fields,  but 
who  knew  nothing  of  the  great  transportation  prob- 
lems of  the  country.  An  untrained  pigmy  teaching 
Achilles  how  to  fight  would  form  a  similar  spectacle, 
so  thought  Mr.  Ames. 

Restive  and  indignant  as  he  was  under  such  attempts 
to  throttle  private  enterprise,  as  he  thought,  Mr.  Ames 
kept  a  friendly  attitude  toward  the  President,  and  while 
he  made  no  toadying  trips  to  Washington,  "to  pay  his 
respects,"  yet  he  treated  the  President,  in  public  and  in 
private,  with  all  the  respect  due  to  the  high  office  which 
he  occupied. 

He  often  remarked  that  "the  President  would  make 
a  splendid  railway  manager  on  a  railroad  that  runs 
express  trains  three  minutes  apart,  for  he  has  a  genius 
for  keeping  things  moving." 

As  soon  as  regulation  appeared  to  be  a  fixed  habit  of 
Congress,  IMr,  Ames  was  the  first  to  see  its  vital  weak- 
ness as  a  protection  to  the  people,  and  he  deliberately 
set  about,  with  other  railway  managers,  to  make  the 
whole  business  odious,  by  getting  control,  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, of  those  directly  in  charge  of  the  enforcement  of 
the  regulating  laws.  Under  party  government  of 
public  officials  this  was  not  a  difficult  task,  and  it  soon 
developed  that  the  numerous  and  picturesque  and  elab- 

63 


THE    LIBERATORS 

orate  measures  enacted  by  Congress  and  State  Legisla- 
tures "to  regulate  transportation  companies"  were  as 
so  much  driftwood  in  the  spring  flood  of  a  mountain 
stream. 

So  thoroughly  had  these  master  spirits  of  the  times 
done  their  work,  that  the  people  had  swept  all  obstacles 
from  their  path  at  the  last  Presidential  election.  These 
were  some  of  the  influences  that  contributed  to  the 
present  tolerant  spirit  of  Mr.  Ames ;  but  he  was  a  man 
of  strong  conviction  and  imperious  will,  and  if  he  had 
really  believed  there  was  any  danger  lurking  in  the 
theories  of  Mrs.  Strong,  he  would  have  been  less 
tolerant  in  his  treatment  of  her. 

The  tremendous  popularity  of  the  regulation  theory, 
for  a  time,  had  convinced  Mr.  Ames,  however,  that 
neither  he  nor  his  associate  railway  managers  had  kept 
well  enough  informed  regarding  public  sentiment ;  and, 
since  their  late  triumph,  he  considered  that  no  condi- 
tion could  arise  with  which  they  could  not  successfully 
cope,  but  it  was  best  to  know  what  people  were  think- 
ing and  talking  about. 

Mrs.  Charles  Henry  Ames  was  Barbara  Lane  of 
Richmond.  She  belonged  to  that  noble  aristocracy  of 
the  South  which  was  founded  on  brains  and  bravery 
in  men,  and  beauty  and  graciousness  in  women.    The 

64 


THE    LIBERATORS 

foundation  of  her  character  was  laid  with  the  ances- 
tors who  cherished  splendid  achievements,  who  ex- 
tended a  hospitable  greeting  to  every  worthy  person, 
and  who  gave  a  royal  cheer  to  every  worthy  effort. 

Her  marriage  into  the  richest  family  in  New  York 
City  placed  her  in  a  commanding  social  position. 
However,  that  result  would  probably  have  been  at- 
tained just  as  readily  had  she  been  a  much  less  cul- 
tured and  refined  woman  than  she  was,  for,  at  that 
time,  most  American  cities  were  afflicted  with  the 
social  reign  of  people  who  in  some  way  (usually  ac- 
cidentally from  the  mines,  or  by  lucky  gambling  in 
Wall  Street,  or  from  the  great  public  utility  com- 
panies) had  acquired  more  money  than  their  neigh- 
bors, and  for  that  sole  reason  had  set  themselves  up 
to  perform  the  functions  of  the  social  accolade  for 
the  balance  of  the  community. 

With  her  charming  manners,  her  superior  accom- 
plishments, carrying  her  generous  impulses  into  every 
relation  of  life,  Mrs.  Ames  easily  assumed  the  leader- 
ship of  New  York  society  by  the  natural  right  of  fit- 
ness, and  she  enlarged  the  scope  of  that  society  and 
set  the  example  of  placing  a  premium  upon  intellect 
and  character  in  fixing  the  social  status  of  others. 


65 


Chapter  VII. 

"It  seems  odd,  doesn't  it,  for  the  reputed  brute  in 
his  treatment  of  women  to  be  among  all  of  these 
grand  dames?" 

Randolph  was  gazing  at  an  excellent  copy  in  oil  of 
Delaroche's  famous  "Napoleon,"  which  hung  on  the 
library  wall  of  Mrs.  Strong's  house,  surrounded  by  por- 
traits of  Madame  de  Stael,  Madame  Recamier,  Ma- 
dame LeBrun,  and  other  famous  women. 

Mrs.  Strong  and  Virginia  Ames  were  standing  be- 
side Randolph.  It  was  the  following  morning,  and 
the  three  were  dressed  for  the  saddle. 

"But  they  have  vilely  slandered  Napoleon,"  Mrs. 
Strong  said.  "No  man  in  history  ever  was  so  good 
to  his  female  relatives  as  was  Napoleon  to  his.  Not 
only  was  he  always  generous,  but  he  was  considerate 
and  courteous.  No  father  could  have  done  more  than 
he  did  for  Josephine's  daughter,  Hortense ;  and  to 
Madame  Permon  and  her  daughter,  the  friends  of 
his  youth,  he  was  most  loyal  and  devoted  to  the  end. 
He,  no  doubt,  snubbed  unmercifully  the  women  who 
belonged  to  the  old  aristocracy,  and  who  treated  him 
as  an  adventurous  upstart,  whose  career  would  be 
fleeting.     No  person  can  read  Napoleon's  letters  to 

66 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Josephine  during  that  wonderful  Itahan  campaign 
without  having  increased  respect  for  him,  and 
without  being  impressed  anew  with  the  conviction  that 
no  man  ever  achieved  greatness  without  the  inspira- 
tion of  some  woman.  However,  as  you  may  notice, 
that  copy  is  a  new  one,  and  I-  have  hung  it  on  my 
Hbrary  wall  from  a  wholly  different  sentiment.  Chance 
alone  placed  it  among  these  women,  two  of  whom,  at 
least,  would  shock  the  spirit  world  with  their  ex- 
clamations if  they  knew  their  portraits  were  in  such 
proximity  to  that  of  Bonaparte." 

"Do  you  mind  telling  us  what  that  sentiment  is?" 
asked  Randolph. 

"Not  in  the  least.  Napoleon  is  the  embodiment  of 
social  and  governmental  progress.  That  he  became 
tyrannical  and  selfish  and  autocratic  I  grieve  to  ac- 
knowledge. But  modem  society,  in  every  civilized 
country  on  earth,  is  many  laps  farther  along  toward 
the  social  millennium  than  if  he  had  never  lived.  Had 
he  been  killed,  or  overthrown,  at  any  time  between 
Toulon  and  Wagram,  it  would  have  been  the 
euthanasia  of  modern  liberalism,  and  the  triumph  of 
feudalism  in  all  of  its  worst  features.  Fortunately  for 
the  world,  he  lived  long  enough  and  powerfully 
enough  to  fasten  the  principles  of  the  Code  Napoleon 
upon  the  greater  part  of  continental   Europe,   and, 

^7 


THE    LIBERATORS 

though  the  Alhes  overthrew  his  armies,  they  could  not 
destroy  his  laws.  I  look  upon  Moses,  Lycurgus,  Jus- 
tinian, Napoleon  and  Alexander  Hamilton  as  the  great 
lawgivers  of  the  world,  and  w^ithout  their  genius  man- 
kind might  yet  be  hunting  each  other  in  the  wilderness. 

"But,  come,"  she  added,  with  a  sudden  change  of 
manner,  "we  are  to  ride  to  Amesmount  to-day  and 
lunch  there.  Amesmount,  you  know,  Mr.  Randolph, 
is  the  summer  home  of  the  Ameses,  near  Dobbs  Ferry ; 
but  of  course  Virginia  has  told  you  all  about  the  glo- 
rious place.  It  is  a  summer  home  that  is 
kept  open  all  winter,  for  the  city  is  ever  so  much  more 
attractive  the  oftener  you  can  get  away  from  it." 

They  were  soon  in  the  saddle,  and  rapidly  passed 
from  crowded  Fifth  Avenue  to  Riverside  Drive.  The 
day  was  a  glorious  one,  the  air  was  charged  with  the 
frosty  electricity  of  departing  winter,  and  there  was 
not  a  cloud  to  detain  a  single  ray  of  the  sun. 

The  road  to  Amesmount  was  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful around  New  York.  Again  and  again  the  riders 
stopped  on  some  high  point  and  gazed  back  at  the 
wonderful  city,  which,  with  all  its  incongruities  of 
architecture,  was  regal  in  its  surroundings. 

Amesmount  had  been  located  and  created  under  the 
watchful  eye  of  Mrs.  Ames.  She  had  followed  the 
outlines  of  a  romantic  story,  which  she  had  read  when 

68 


THE    LIBERATORS 

a  girl,  laid  partly  in  the  valley  of  the  Rhone  in  France, 
and  partly  along  the  Hudson.  The  architect,  to  whom 
she  carried  the  novel,  undertook  to  get  his  plans  from 
its  vivid  description,  and  the  result  was  a  half-chateau, 
half-cottage,  that  charmed  every  observer  with  its 
lazy  restfulness.  The  laying  out  of  the  grounds  fol- 
lowed the  same  inspired  authority :  "Manifold  vines 
fasten  to  the  low  veranda  and,  striving  upward,  cling 
with  their  delicate  festoons  and  blossoms  around  the 
ruddy  neck  of  the  turret.  Bountiful  trees  shade  the 
lawn;  fountains  play  with  a  dreamy  lull  amid  their 
shadows;  quaint  seats,  arbors  girdled  with  flowers, 
calm-faced  statues,  rest  under  their  far-spreading 
boughs,  perfect  ideals  of  beauty  and  repose.  At  the 
entrance  of  the  green  arcade  leading  to  the  house  a 
marble  Ceres,  garland  crowned,  her  white  arms  over- 
flowing with  pallid  fruits,  offers  welcome  to  all  who 
enter  these  precincts." 

Even  thus  early  in  the  season  Amesmount  was  redo- 
lent of  spring,  and  Randolph  thought  it  the  most 
perfect  abode  he  had  ever  seen.  He  was  proclaiming 
his  views  at  the  luncheon,  which  the  ladies  had  or- 
dered to  be  served  in  one  of  the  arbors,  so  that  they 
might  not  miss  any  of  the  glories  of  the  day. 

i"How  he  would  enjoy  our  dear  old  Amalfi,  wouldn't 
he,  Gertrude?    How  beautiful  it  is  there  at  this  very 

69 


THE    LIBERATORS 

season !"  and  Virginia's  great  brown  eyes  glowed  with 
feeling. 

"It  is  the  dreamiest  country  in  the  world,  the  one  place 
that  always  pulls  at  the  heart  strings  until  one  returns. 
I  am  not  happy  unless  I  go  there  once  a  year.  I  don't 
wonder  that  the  great  novelist  Crowder  revels  in  his 
beautiful  villa  at  Sorrento.  'An  old  Italian  used  to 
keep  a  shop  on  Broadway,  near  Sixteenth  street,  and 
I  remember  when  I  returned  from  my  first  trip  to 
Europe,  he  said  to  me,  'Well,  did  you  see  Italy 
thoroughly?'  'Indeed  I  did,'  I  replied.  'By  the  way, 
where  did  you  live  over  there?'  I  asked  him.  'I  will 
leave  that  to  you,'  he  answered.  'I  lived  in  the  most 
beautiful  part  of  Italy  that  you  saw.'  'Oh,'  I  said, 
'that  is  the  Sorrento-Amalfi  country.'  'I  lived  in  Sor- 
rento,' and  his  face  beamed. 

"I  don't  wonder,"  she  went  on,  "that  Murat  and  his 
wife.  Napoleon's  sister,  were  tempted  to  desert  the 
great  Emperor  and  make  terms  with  the  Allies  to  re- 
tain their  beautiful  Kingdom  of  Naples."  The  violet 
eyes  of  Mrs.  Strong  became  earnest.  "But  what  a  mis- 
take Napoleon  made  in  rejecting  Murat's  services  in 
the  Waterloo  campaign.  How  different  the  history  of 
the  world  might  have  been  if  the  greatest  cavalry  com- 
mander of  that  day  had  been  with  Napoleon  at  Water- 
loo!"    And  a  cloud  of  sadness  passed  over  her  ex- 

70 


THE    LIBERATORS 

pressive  face.  "But  Amalfi !  You  know  that  Mr. 
Ames  is  compelled  to  go  to  Europe  on  business  next 
summer,  and  he  expects  all  of  us  to  go  with  him.  Do 
join  us,  Mr.  Randolph,  and  see  glorious  Amalfi  for 
yourself." 

Randolph  hesitated  a  moment,  and  his  mind  flew  to 
a  dear  old  mother  and  a  devoted  sister  in  far-off  Il- 
linois, whose  chief  joy  in  life  was  in  his  summer  vaca- 
tions. 

"I  should  love  to  go,  but  my  summers  are  my 
mother's,"  he  replied,  simply. 

"We  sail  from  Naples  in  September,  just  in  time  to 
make  New  York  for  the  beginning  of  the  fall  term. 
Possibly  you  could  leave  home  three  weeks  earlier 
than  usual,  join  us  in  Naples,  and  thus  get  a  few  days 
for  Southern  Italy.  The  trip  and  the  outing  would  do 
you  a  world  of  good,"  persisted  Mrs.  Strong,  who  was 
enjoying  the  companionship  of  this  earnest,  silent  and 
serious  young  man,  who  had  revealed  a  part  of  his 
life  and  ambition  to  her,  and  whose  dignity  of  char- 
acter she  understood  and  admired. 

"That  might  be  possible,  and  if  so,  I  certainly  shall 
not  miss  such  a  treat,"  he  replied.  '^But,  returning  to 
Napoleon,  do  you  know  that  I  think  decidedly  the  best 
condensed  history  of  that  great  man  is  the  one  written 
recently  by  our  own  American  author — Watson.     If 

71 


THE    LIBERATORS 

you  have  not  read  it,  you  will  find  it  interesting  and 
entertaining,  and  the  viewpoint  of  the  author  will 
please  you,  I  am  sure." 

Mrs.  Strong  thanked  him  for  the  information,  then 
she  added : 

"There  is  one  curious  thing  about  great  warriors, 
and  it  is  well  worth  your  attention,  if  you  are  going 
to  be  a  great  man.  Most  of  them  either  started  as 
authors,  or  developed  the  art  while  fighting.  When 
Napoleon  was  a  young  man  he  dreamed  that  he  might 
be  a  great  writer,  so  he  wrote  the  'Supper  of  Beau- 
caire,'  and  tried  it  on  every  person  who  would  listen 
to  him.  It  is  just  possible  that  it  was  the  effect  of  this 
effort  upon  his  audience  which  drove  him  into  risking 
his  life  in  the  most  reckless  manner  on  every  possible 
occasion  for  a  long  time.  One  thing  is  certain,  how- 
ever, his  literary  abilities  and  his  graphic  powers  of 
description  served  him  well  in  making  out  his  war  bulle- 
tins, and  in  dictating  his  final  views  on  mortal  affairs 
at  St.  Helena.  Caesar  perpetuated  his  military  fame 
by  the  deft  use  of  the  pen.  And  Joshua,  phew !  the 
military  feats  that  Joshua  accomplished,  according  to 
his  own  version  of  them,  have  been  the  marvel  of  the 
world  ever  since !  They  talk  about  which  is  mightier, 
the  pen  or  the  sword.  The  sword  has  always  been 
mightiest  in  the  hands  of  those  who  knew  how  to 

72 


THE    LIBERATORS 

wield  a  skilful  pen.  That  is  probably  what  Richelieu 
meant  in  his  famous  exclamation  over  the  power  of  the 
pen.  To  trust  outside  and  unknown  biographers,  when 
you  know  you  can  do  the  job  better  yourself,  is  foolish, 
anyhow."    And  her  eyes  twinkled. 

"I  will  remember  your  sage  advice,  when  the  time 
comes,"  Randolph  answered,  with  mock  gravity.  Then 
they  all  laughed,  and  discovered  that  it  was  time  to 
go  back  to  the  city. 

During  the  ride  down,  Virginia,  who  had  been 
strangely  silent  during  the  early  part  of  the  day, 
laughed  and  chatted  gaily,  smiling  over  her  shoulder 
at  Randolph  now  and  then  in  a  way  that  would  have 
seemed  coquettish  in  any  girl  who  had  not  such 
serious  brown  eyes.  She  was  still  only  the  schoolgirl 
out  for  a  holiday,  and  the  young  man  wondered  what 
promise  of  future  womanhood  lay  behind  those  eyes. 

"What  a  creature  of  moods  you  are,  Virginia !"  ex- 
claimed Mrs.  Strong. 

"Why  not?  You  know  I  was  born  in  the  month  of 
April." 

"And  the  children  of  April,"  said  Randolph,  "are 
bom  to  a  heritage  of  laughter  and  tears.  Let  us  hope 
that  you  may  inherit  only  the  laughter." 

"My  mother  says" — and  the  girl's  face  grew  pensive 

7i 


THE    tiBERATORS 

again — "my  mother  says  that  all  women  know  sorrow 
at  some  time  or  other." 

Then  she  urged  her  horse  ahead,  and  when  they 
came  up  to  her  she  was  laughing  again. 


74 


Chapter  VIII. 

Sometimes  Frederic  accompanied  them,  but  gen- 
erally these  three  rode  alone,  and  not  one  morning 
was  missed  during  Randolph's  visit  of  a  week,  for 
nature  did  her  best  this  year  to  enhance  the 
glories  of  Eastertide,  and  the  sun  rose  each  morning 
in  the  same  fleckless  sky.  Mrs.  5Ames  had  given  up 
the  joy  of  the  mount,  and  Margaret  did  not  care  for 
it.  Frederic  had  many  things  to  claim  his  attention 
downtown,  and  seeing  that  George  preferred  this  sort 
of  morning  recreation  to  any  other,  he  consigned  him 
to  Mrs.  Strong  and  Virginia. 

"Be  careful,  George,  of  the  influence  of  this  new 
Aspasia,"  he  said  one  day,  chaffingly,  "or  even  Pro- 
fessor Weyman  will  disown  your  radical  views." 

On  Thursday  afternoon  George  accompanied  Mrs. 
Strong  to  her  "Girls'  Industrial  School,"  where  any 
girl  thrown  upon  her  own  resources,  or  belonging  to 
a  family  too  poor  to  give  her  a  practical  education, 
could  enter  free  of  charge  and  learn  some  useful  art 
or  applied  design.  This  school  was  the  one  great 
hobby  of  Mrs.  Strong's  life.  She  had  founded  it  the 
year  her  husband  died,  and  had  maintained  it  entirely 
at  her  own  expense.    Every  day  when  she  was  in  New 

75 


THE    LIBERATORS 

York  she  had  an  hour  with  the  principal  at  her  own 
house,  and  once  a  week  she  spent  the  entire  afternoon 
at  the  school.  At  this  time  the  school  was  in  an  old 
structure  on  Twenty-third  Street,  but  a  commodious 
new  building-  was  being  erected  for  it  on  the  heights 
above  Harlem. 

"I  get  more  genuine  pleasure  out  of  these  little 
waifs  than  from  anything  else  in  the  world,"  she  said 
to  Randolph.  "It  would  do  your  soul  good  to  hear 
some  of  the  stories  of  these  dear  little  creatures.  One 
girl  of  twelve,  who  was  learning  friezework,  was  in 
the  habit  of  carrying  home  with  her  every  Saturday 
the  parchment  model  from  which  she  copied,  as  well 
as  her  own  work.  The  teacher  did  not  discover  this 
for  some  weeks.    When  she  did,  she  said  to  the  child : 

*'  'Emily,  dear,  why  do  you  take  your  work  from  the 
school  building-  on  Saturday?' 

"  '"Well,  it  is  this  way,  dear  Miss  Cousin:  My  father 
keeps  a  saloon  down  near  the  ferry,  and  Saturday 
nights  the  saloon  is  always  filled  with  men,  and  I'm 
teaching  them  art.  Why,  don't  you  know,  they  look 
forward  to  Saturday  night  as  the  great  night  of  the 
week,  and  they  already  know  a  lot  about  Italian  and 
French  art.  Then,  too.  Miss  Cousin,  I've  got  my 
father  interested  in  art,  and  he  closes  the  saloon  up 
tight,  Sunday  afternoons,  and  goes  with  me  out  to  the 

76 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Art  Museum  in  the  Park,'  and  the  child's  eyes  danced 
with  joy  at  the  thought  of  the  good  work  she  was 
doing. 

"  'All  right,  my  dear,  you  continue  to  take  your 
work  and  models  home  with  you  every  Saturday,  and 
if  you  see  anything  else  you  would  like  to  take,  tell  me 
about  it,'  and  dear  Miss  Cousin  turned  away  her  head 
to  hide  the  tears. 

"Last  winter,  when  the  weather  was  the  coldest,  an- 
other young  girl,  who  lived  on  Staten  Island,  missed 
school  every  Thursday  for  several  weeks.  Her  teacher 
finally  asked  her  the  cause.  She  hesitated  quite  a 
little  before  telling  her.  She  blushed,  and  the  tears 
came  to  her  eyes. 

"  'You  see,  dear  teacher,  my  parents  are  dead,  and 
the  lady  I  live  with  has  only  one  wrap' — pointing  to 
the  one  she  had  on — 'and  Thursday  is  her  day  to  come 
to  the  city  to  attend  to  business,  and  she  needs  the 
wrap.'  The  teacher  kissed  the  girl's  tears  away  and 
reassured  her  with  a  promise  that  as  soon  as  I  got 
home  all  this  would  end.  That  beautiful  Byzantine 
cross  on  leather  over  there  is  her  work.  Just  after  my 
return  home  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  engaged  in 
making  artistic  books,  asked  me  if  we  had  any  new 
models  at  the  school.  I  brought  him  down  here,  and 
he  saw  this  cross.    'That  is  just  what  I  want,'  he  ex- 

77 


THE    LIBERATORS 

claimed.  'Did  any  one  in  the  school  do  this  work?' 
The  girl  was  presented  to  him.  He  gave  her  some 
work  to  do,  and  to-day  she  is  drawing  a  regular  sal- 
ary of  thirty  dollars  a  week." 

"Do  most  of  these  girls  get  salaried  positions  ?"  asked 
Randolph,  as  he  inspected  exquisite  China  and  India 
silk  patterns,  cornices,  wall-paper  designs  and  splendid 
drawings  in  architecture. 

"Practically  all  of  them,"  Mrs.  Strong  answered. 
"With  their  own  talents,  supplemented  by  the  influ- 
ence of  Mr.  Ames  and  myself,  scarcely  a  girl  goes  out 
of  this  school  who  does  not  earn  from  the  beginning 
at  least  twenty-five  dollars,  and  some  of  them  get  as 
high  as  one  hundred  dollars  a  week.  Poor  Mr.  Ames ! 
I  impose  upon  him  a  lot  in  his  work,  but  he  really 
loves  the  imposition,  for,  at  heart,  he  is  one  of  the 
best  men  that  ever  lived.  Of  course  the  blood  of 
generations  of  pure  money-makers  will  probably  never 
permit  him  to  take  the  right  view  of  the  larger  public 
questions ;  but,  in  helping  individual  suffering  human- 
ity, there  is  no  better  man  on  earth  to  appeal  to.  I 
asked  him  to  give  me  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
toward  our  new  building.  He  said  he  would  see  about 
it.  The  next  Thursday  afternoon,  when  he  knew  I 
was  at  the  school,  he  stopped  here  on  his  way  uptown. 
After  looking  over  everything  thoroughly,  he  asked 

78 


THE    LIBERATORS 

me  what  I  expected  the  new  building-  would  cost ;  and 
I  told  him  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

"  'Do  you  pay  it  all  yourself?' 

"  'No,'  I  said,  'Mr.  Johnson,  the  oil  king,  and  Mr. 
Stern,  the  philanthropist,  have  asked  the  privilege  of 
donating  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  each,  and  I  have 
accepted  their  offer.' 

"  'Very  well,  Gertrude,  you  and  I  will  divide  the 
other  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  equally 
between  us,'  and  he  would  not  listen  to  anything  else. 

"All  of  which  shows  that  there  are  plenty  of  chari- 
tably disposed  people  in  the  world,  if  some  one  will 
but  direct  their  eflForts  along  useful  lines.  I  have  a 
woman  friend  in  Chicago  who  is  doing  magnificent 
work  in  her  way.  She  is  not  wealthy,  and  her  hus- 
band's income  is  not  very  large,  but  she  uses  her 
allowance  almost  entirely  in  charitable  work,  and  her 
charity  is  so  practical— so  sensible !  I  wish  I  had  her 
skill  and  ability.  She  found  a  friendless  boy  in  the 
county  jail,  on  one  of  her  visits  to  that  institution, 
and  learned  from  him  that  he  had  been  there  since 
August — this  was  November — without  a  trial.  Hav- 
ing no  friends  and  no  pull,  he  was  entirely  forgotten. 
He  was  like  the  man  who  fell  overboard  in  the  China 
Sea,  where  sharks  abound,  and  the  captain  refused 
to  put  out  a  boat  for  him.     'What's  the  use?'  this 

79 


THE    LIBERATORS 

worthy  official  said.  'The  sharks  will  get  him  before 
any  boat  can  reach  him.'  So  this  poor  boy — an  or- 
phan— sweltering  the  summer  away  in  jail,  untried, 
was  treated  by  the  county  authorities  in  the  same  way. 
'What's  the  use?  He  has  no  friends,'  was  undoubtedly 
their  soliloquy. 

"This  lad  was  charged  with  stealing  a  watermelon 
from  an  express  car  in  the  railroad  yard.  My  friend 
went  after  the  matter  with  a  blunt  cudgel,  and  the 
boy's  case  was  called  the  next  morning  in  the  Magis- 
trate's Court.  The  Judge  listened  patiently  to  the  tes- 
timony. There  was  no  doubt  about  the  guilt  of  the 
boy,  and  sentence  accordingly  was  about  to  be  passed, 
when  my  friend  arose  and  said : 

"  'May  it  please  the  Court,  I  want  to  say  a  word  in 
behalf  of  this  poor  boy.  It  is  apparent  that  he  has  no 
friends.  The  charge  against  him  is  one  that  might 
justly  be  preferred  against  every  boy  in  the  United 
States,  if  he  has  red  blood  in  his  veins,  and  lives  where 
watermelons  grow.  I  will  venture  to  say  that  Your 
Honor  and  the  District  Attorney  might  as  youths  have 
been  properly  prosecuted  for  a  similar  offense.  The 
fact  that  you  have  succeeded  in  life  is  almost  conclu- 
sive that  you  had  energy  and  appetite  enough  to  steal 
a  watermelon  when  you  were  young.  It  is  a  national 
trait — not  a  crime.    Even  were  it  larceny,  this  unfor- 

80 


THE    LIBERATORS 

tunate  boy  has  paid  the  penalty  by  three  months'  im- 
prisonment in  the  county  jail.  What  I  wish  to  ask 
of  Your  Honor  is  that,  instead  of  sending  this  boy 
back  to  jail,  you  turn  him  over  to  me,  and  I  will 
answer  for  his  future  conduct.' 

"She  took  the  boy,  and  now,  three  years  afterward, 
he  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  and  faithful  clerks  in  a 
large  counting-house  in  Chicago,  and  devoted  to  his 
'Dearest,'  as  he  calls  my  friend. 

"She  has  developed  another  idea  which  is  working 
splendidly  under  her  inspiration.  She  got  a  young 
married  man  off  from  punishment  for  some  violation 
of  the  postal  laws,  under  the  promise  to  be  responsible 
for  him.  Then  she  took  one  of  the  most  refractory  of 
the  girls  from  the  State  Institution  for  the  reforma- 
tion of  such  girls,  and  settled  the  man  and  his  wife 
and  this  girl  in  a  house  near  her  own,  which  she  had 
fitted  up  for  the  purpose.  After  two  years  all  three 
had  developed  into  useful  citizens  with  good  positions 
obtained  for  them  by  their  benefactress,  and  under 
the  sway  of  their  'Dearest'  are  carving  out  honorable 
careers.  The  house  is  now  occupied  by  another  lot  of 
'refractory'  people,  who  are  developing  into  a  better 
manhood  and  womanhood.  When  she  started  this 
work,  of  course,  she  was  cried  down  by  the  so-called 
orderly  forces  of  society.     'What's  the  use?    Let  the 

8i 


THE    LIBERATORS 

law  take  its  course!  Why  endanger  our  safety  by 
getting  these  people  out  of  jail?' 

"It  was  the  far-off  cry  of  the  nearby  Pharisee.  But 
the  still,  small  voice  yet  fills  the  world,  and  instead  of 
a  cruel,  desert  place  for  barbarous  man,  the  earth  is 
becoming  more  and  more  the  abiding  place  of  the  just 
— who  are  righteous  because  they  are  just,  and  who 
are  beautiful  because  they  are  righteous.  'And  the  ad- 
monition from  the  Man  of  Galilee  never  had  so  much 
force :  'Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.' " 

Randolph  had  seen  her  in  many  moods,  but  this  was 
the  first  time  he  had  ever  seen  her  soul  fully  aroused. 
She  was  almost  transfigured  before  him,  and  the  beau- 
tiful expression  of  Dolci's  Magdalene  floated  before 
his  vision. 


82 


Chapter  IX. 

Some  ten  days  after  his  return  to  Harvard,  Ran- 
dolph received  this  letter  from  Mrs.  Strong: 
"My  Dear  Mr.  Randolph  : 

"I  take  great  pleasure  in  answering  the  question 
which  you  put  to  me  in  your  letter,  received  a  few 
days  ago.  It  is  needless  to  tell  you  that  I  am  highly 
complimented  by  your  inquiry.  It  is  identically  the 
question  propounded  to  me  by  Mr.  Ames  the  night  we 
had  so  much  political  discussion,  and  which  neither 
time  nor  courtesy  to  my  host  would  then  permit  me 
to  answer.  Perhaps  my  opinions,  upon  subjects  as 
weighty  as  this  one  certainly  is,  are  not  entitled  to 
much  consideration  under  any-  circumstances,  but  I 
most  assuredly  should  not  think  of  giving  them  to 
you,  a  comparative  stranger,  without  telling  you  the 
basis  of  my  conclusions. 

"You  probably  know  that  my  father,  although  a 
railroad  builder  and  owner,  was  a  deep  student  of 
American  history  and  pubHc  affairs.  I  think  he  came 
nearer  being  an  enlightened  statesman  than  any 
man  who  was  ever  engaged  in  large  American  indus- 
trial enterprises.  He  fully  realized  the  governmental 
perils    which    these    huge     industrial     combinations 

83 


THE    LIBERATORS 

engendered,  and  he  despised,  utterly,  the  methods  by 
which  they  controlled  political  parties  and  public  offi- 
cials. Being  an  only  child,  and  my  mother  having  died 
when  I  was  an  infant,  I  was  the  confidante  of  my 
father's  most  secret  thoughts.  He  took  great  pains 
to  inspire  in  me  the  love  of  study,  and  often  empha- 
sized the  aphorism  of  Pope :  'The  proper  study  of  man- 
kind is  man.'  I  took  frequent  trips  over  his  great 
railways  with  him,  and  the  Pacific  coast  is  as  familiar 
to  me  as  is  the  Atlantic. 

"He  took  me  to  political  conventions  and  to  sessions 
of  State  legislatures  and  to  call  upon  State  officials.  I 
went  abroad  with  him  twice,  and  his  chief  occupation 
on  these  journeys  was  to  inquire  into  all  matters  of 
government  as  related  to  industries  and  the  welfare 
of  the  people. 

"My  father  died  the  same  year  in  which  I  was  mar- 
ried, and  when  my  husband  died,  two  years  afterward, 
I  silently,  but  none  the  less  solemnly,  dedicated  my 
life  to  the  service  of  mankind.  My  investigations  and 
studies  have  been  as  thorough  as  I  know  how  to  make 
them.  However,  with  your  ambitions  and  the  sacred 
charge  of  your  father  ringing  in  your  ears,  you  must 
investigate  conditions  in  this  country  for  yourself — 
for  nothing  can  so  fan  the  divine  fire  of  eloquence  as 
injustice  and  misery  in  all  their  nakedness. 

84 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"The  remedy  for  governmental  evils  in  this  coun- 
try appears  to  me  so  simple ;  but  blatant  political  dema- 
gogues, acting  for  special  interests  that  rule  the  gov- 
ernment, have  taught  the  people  that  any  change  is 
fraught  with  such  dire  peril  that  it  is  amusing  to 
watch  the  terror  of  the  public  mind  when  any  reform 
in  government  is  suggested. 

"All  we  need  to  do  is  to  wipe  out  feudalism — com- 
pletely uproot  it— and  become  a  republic  in  fact  as  well 
as  in  name. 

"How  can  this  be  done  ?    Nationalize  every  industry 
which  in  the  least  degree  performs  any  of  tne  func- 
tions  of   the   general   government,    and   municipalize 
every  industry  which  in  the  least  degree  performs  any 
of  the  functions  of  local  government.     We  shall  then  ) 
•  get  back  to  popular  rule,  and  other  necessary  leg;?".: 
tion  will  follow  naturally  and  easily.     After  that.  \ 
baronial  possessions— for  the  most  part  unfairly  a;! 
illegally   acquired— can   be   effectively   dealt   with   b} 
readjusting  the  system  of  taxation  and  inheritance  so 
that  the  State  shall  gradually  but  surely  come  into 
its  own. 

"In  the  process  of  readjusting  taxes  enters  the  large 
questions  of  a  protective  tariff  and  the  disposition  of 
our  public  lands  in  such  manner  that  the  American 
people,  as  a  whole,  can  get  the  greatest  benefit.     It 


THE    LIBERATORS 

seems  such  an  inexcusable  crime  that  for  years  our 
mines,  taken  from  the  public  domain,  should  have 
produced  practically  one-fourth  of  the  metal  from  which 
the  money  of  the  world  is  made,  and  our  national 
treasury  not  have  profited  materially  therefrom.  It 
seems  a  much  greater  crime  that  the  poor,  struggling 
masses  of  our  people  should  be  placed  at  the  mercy 
of  robber  coal  barons,  when  all  coal  lands  came  orig- 
inally from  the  national  possessions. 

"No  tariff  law  is  properly  'protective'  to  the  people, 
which  does  not  absolutely  prohibit  child  labor  in  the 
protected  factories ;  which  does  not  provide  for  an 
eight-hour  workday,  and  which  does  not  assure  a 
reasonable  price  to  the  people  of  the  protected  articles. 

"Important  as  these  other  measures  are,  they  do  not 
essentially  affect  the  form  of  our  government,  whereas, 
the  private  performance  of  the  public  functions  of 
transportation  and  communication,  in  the  nation  and 
locally,  under  conditions  as  they  now  exist  in  this 
country,  make  us  a  feudal  people  and  not  a  free 
people.  None  of  these  latter  measures,  nor  any  whole- 
some, industrial  or  moral  legislation,  can  be  enacted, 
or  will  have  any  force  or  effect,  if  enacted,  until  the 
laws  of  the  country  are  placed  in  the  keeping  of  the 
people  of  the  country  for  their  equal  benefit  and  pro- 
tection.    The  ethical  phase  of  this  question  enters  so 

86 


THE    LIBERATORS 

largely  into  the  social  life  of  every  hamlet,  city,  work- 
shop, mine  and  farm  of  the  nation,  that  I  am  amazed 
that  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  other  public  teachers 
do  not  assail  the  system  as  the  stumbling  block  to  all 
moral,  as  well  as  social,  reforms  everywhere.  I 
attended  a  State  meeting  of  school  teachers  in  the 
Northwest  recently,  and,  to  my  soul's  delight,  the 
demoralizing  efifect  of  this  system,  and  the  frauds  and 
corruption  it  breeds,  were  thoroughly  understood  and 
mercilessly  assailed. 

"Elaborate  pains  were  taken  in  the  American  Con- 
stitution to  guard  against  monarchal  government  and 
its  baneful  influences,  but  so  little  was  feudahsm 
thought  of,  or  feared,  that  no  effort  was  made  to  pre- 
clude the  possibility  of  its  destructive  rule.  It  has 
always  been  my  sincere  regret  that  Jefferson  was  not 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention.  You  will  recall  that 
he  set  the  example  in  the  Virginia  Legislature,  for  all 
of  the  other  American  States  to  follow,  of  abolishing 
every  vestige  of  feudalism  from  the  ownership  and 
inheritance  of  lands.  Hamilton's  mind  was  so  full  of 
the  pressing  necessity  of  putting  our  badly  discredited 
finances  on  a  sound  basis,  and  of  getting  a  strong 
central  government  to  replace  the  flimsy  and  easily 
dissolved  Confederacy,  that  his  genius  had  no  time 
for  the  more  speculative  questions  of  the  future.    Your 

87 


THE    LIBERATORS 

illustrious  ancestor — Edmund  Randolph — was,  next  to 
Hamilton,  the  most  brilliant  man  in  that  distinguished 
assembly,  and,  if  his  eloquence  could  have  been  sup- 
plemented by  the  plodding  but  richly  stored  mind  of 
Jefferson  on  all  phases  of  feudalism,  we  might  not  be 
compelled  to  deal  with  these  questions  at  the  present 
time.  However,  they  are  with  us,  and  they  are  live 
and  burning  issues. 

"Europe  has  the  titles  of  feudalism,  but,  outside  of 
Russia,  the  institution  itself  has  no  life.  America  has 
not  the  titles,  but  the  Middle  Ages  never  maintained 
a  more  completely  organized  feudal  structure. 

"Thus,  while  the  Fathers  successfully  threw  off  one 
form  of  old-world  tyranny,  another,  more  subtle,  has 
fastened  its  tentacles  around  the  throat  of  our  republic. 

"On  the  threshold  of  your  career  I  beg  of  you  not 
to  temporize.  Better  by  far  never  to  hold  any  poli- 
tical office  than  to  take  one  weighted  with  the  odious 
obligations  now  required  to  get  it.  No  reform  is 
possible,  none  ever  will  be  possible,  thnough  existing 
political  parties.  Whatever  the  inspiration  of  their 
birth,  they  both  exist  now  through  city,  county,  State 
and  national  organizations,  which  are  officered  and 
drilled  and  supplied  with  their  commissariat  by  the 
system  which  has  supplanted  popular  government 
through  this  very  ownership. 

88 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"As  an  illustration  of  this  condition  of  affairs,  you 
will  find  that  the  men  composing  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  in  1904  were  practically  the  same 
men  that  constituted  the  National  Democratic  Con- 
vention of  1896;  yet  the  Edict  of  Nantes  and  the 
Magna  Charta  are  not  more  widely  different  than  are 
those  two  declarations  of  party  principles.  It  is  not 
surprising  that  hysterical  questions  are  being  asked  in 
the  public  press:  'What  is  a  Democrat?'  'What  is  a 
Republican?'  For  neither  party  advocates  the  same 
things  during  two  successive  campaigns,  and  neither 
one  dares  to  strike  at  the  real  root  of  governmental  evil. 

"The  party  boss,  who  may  have  been  convicted  of 
highway  robbery  in  San  Francisco,  the  saloonkeeper 
party  boss  of  Chicago,  the  prizefighter  party  boss  of 
Boston,  the  race  track  party  boss  of  New  York,  the 
professional  party  boss  of  Philadelphia,  and  so  on 
through  every  American  city,  each  and  all  keeping 
the  party  organization  intact  with  the  money  of  public 
utility  companies,  are  the  foundations  upon  which 
party  government,  which  we  are  fond  of  calling  'free 
government,'  rests  in  this  country.  These  bosses,  acting 
singly  in  local  affairs,  collectively  in  national  affairs, 
dictate  party  policies,  party  nominations,  and,  there- 
fore, the  methods  of  government. 

"Every  person  with  eyes  to  see  knows  it  is  true, 

89 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Neither  do  so-called  'popular  nomination  methods* 
have  the  slightest  effect.  They  simply  increase  the 
number  of  lieutenants  and  the  expense,  both  trivial 
matters  to  those  interested,  and  the  result  remains  the 
same.  How  the  spirits  of  Jefferson  and  Lincoln  must 
writhe  in  agony,  if  they  are  capable  of  witnessing 
mundane  affairs,  to  see  the  banners  of  the  great  politi- 
cal parties  which  they  created  borne  aloft  by  such 
hands,  and  to  hear  the  orators  and  newspaper  organs 
of  these  creatures  adjuring  voters  'to  remain  loyal  to 
the  great  party'  of  Freedom  or  Democracy. 

"And  the  opponents  of  the  contention  that  the  gov- 
ernment should  perform  all  of  its  functions  for  itself 
exclaim  with  uplifted  hands:  *It  would  create  such 
powerful  political  machines !' 

"As  the  Frenchman  would  say:  'It  is  to  laugh.' 

"Washington  clearly  foresaw  the  menace  to  free 
government  in  party  rule,  and  eight  years  after  the 
beginning  of  our  government  warned  his  countrymen 
against  such  rule.  The  idea  is  so  preposterous  that  it 
would  be  most  comical,  if  it  were  not  so  serious,  that 
a  political  party  brought  into  existence  to  solve  some 
great  problem  of  government  by  a  union  of  forces  of 
the  same  manner  of  thinking  fifty  or  one  hundred 
years  ago,  should  now  serve  as  banner,  buckler,  shield 
and  spear  for  hosts  bent  only  upon  government  rapine 

90 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  plunder.  A  Theodoric  may  occasionally  loom  up, 
but  the  controlling  forces  are  essentially  barbaric  in 
political  instinct  and  barbarous  in  moral  standards. 

"How  proud  I  should  be  to  call  either  one  or  both 
of  these  great  political  parties  'the  party  of  Jefferson 
and  Lincoln,'  if  they  would  but  win  the  title  by  their 
deeds ! 

"We  might  be  willing  to  forgive  the  personal  fail- 
ings of  many  of  the  captains,  lieutenants  and  generals, 
as  the  Christians  did  in  the  armies  of  the  Crusaders, 
for  the  cause  was  holy  enough  to  sanctify  every 
warrior. 

"I  hope  these  feminine  views  of  very  masculine  sub- 
jects may  be  of  service  to  you. 

"If  my  arraignment  appears  somewhat  strenuous, 
you  will  pardon  it,  for  I  am  sure  your  own  feelings  will 
be  quite  as  strong  when  you  have  the  opportunity 
closely  to  observe  existing  political  conditions  for 
yourself.  Sincerely  yours, 

"Gertrude  Strong." 

Randolph  read  the  letter  again  and  again. 

Could  it  be  possible,  he  asked  himself,  that  the 
boasted  free  government  of  the  United  States  rested 
upon  such  flimsy  and  corrupt  foundations? 

Coming  from  any  other  woman  of  his  acquaintance, 
he  would  have  regarded  the  governmental  arraignment 

91 


THE    LIBERATORS 

as  the  vagaries  of  a  highly-strung  person,  who  had 
theorized  so  long  on  these  questions  from  an  altruistic 
standpoint  that  quite  naturally  she  had  acquired  an 
exaggerated  estimate  of  the  evils  which  she  had  de- 
tailed. 

But  he  had  witnessed  the  clear,  practical  business 
ability  of  Mrs.  Strong  in  her  management  of  her 
Industrial  School.  She  had  displayed  her  thorough 
knowledge  of  public  questions  in  her  discussion  with 
Mr.  Ames.  The  depths  of  her  convictions  were  some- 
what sounded  when  he  recalled  her  efforts  to  get  to 
the  roots  of  governmental  evils  by  her  years  of  study. 
Her  fortitude  and  devotion  were  manifest  when  she 
combated,  by  example  and  precept,  the  theories  held 
by  those  who  moved  along  the  same  paths  of  life  with 
her,  and  who  were  very  near  and  dear  to  her. 

He  little  dreamed,  at  this  time,  that  his  own  experi- 
ences and  observation  were  soon  to  make  this  letter 
appear  mild  and  inadequate  in  its  arraignment  of 
party  government. 


92 


Chapter  X. 

"Don't  be  poring  over  those  charts  and  compasses 
any  longer.  Come  out  on  the  bridge,  for  we  shall  soon 
be  entering  the  most  beautiful  bay  in  the  world,"  called 
Captain  Ruser,  of  the  Dresden,  to  Randolph  as  they 
approached  the  Bay  of  Naples,  And  as  Randolph 
stood  by  his  side,  he  added :  "Here,  take  my  glasses. 
Next  to  Constantinople,  Naples  has  the  most  pic- 
turesque location  of  any  city  on  earth." 

Randolph  had  gone  to  the  pilot  house  early  that 
morning  on  the  invitation  of  the  captain,  and  had  be- 
come interested  in  the  navigation  of  the  boat,  when  the 
captain  called  to  him  from  the  bridge.  The  sun  was 
just  rising,  and  its  rays  illuminated  the  rugged  out- 
line of  Capri.  Randolph  strained  his  eyes  to  see  all 
he  could  of  this  famous  island,  where  Sappho  is  said 
to  have  lived  for  awhile,  and  where  Tiberius  spent 
the  last  ten  years  of  his  life.  Beyond  Capri,  Sorrento 
was  just  coming  into  view,  and  Randolph  longed  to 
know  the  location  of  Tasso's  house — that  house  to 
which  he  returned  from  prison,  "persecuted  by  the 
envy  of  the  little  and  the  calumny  of  the  great,"  to 
seek  his  sister  and  to  see  if  she  still  recognized  and 
loved  him.     Randolph  recalled  the  affecting  scene  of 

93 


THE    LIBERATORS 

their  meeting;  how  she  recog-nized  him  at  once,  not- 
withstanding his  disguise  of  a  beggar ;  how  she  threw 
herself  into  his  arms  and  with  stifled  sobs  pressed  him 
to  her  heart ;  how  she  prepared  a  feast  for  him  which 
neither  one  could  eat,  "so  full  of  tears  were  their 
hearts,"  and  how  they  passed  the  day  in  weeping, 
"looking  out  upon  the  sea  and  recalling  the  happy 
hours  of  their  childhood." 

Randolph  then  had  the  captain  point  out  to  him 
Mount  Posilippo,  at  the  foot  of  which  Virgil  was 
buried,  and  on  the  beach  of  Margellina,  which  stretches 
from  the  base  of  Posilippo,  formerly  stood  the  small 
fisherman's  house  where  Lamartine  spent  so  many 
happy  days  with  Graziella.  To  the  left  was  the  Island 
of  Procida  where  they  had  met — he,  a  lad  of  eighteen, 
she,  a  girl  of  sixteen. 

This  hazy,  dreamy  atmosphere  sent  Randolph  into  a 
deep  reverie  of  Lamartine's  sad  and  beautiful  little 
book.  He  could  almost  see  the  shore  where  the 
wrecked  fishermen  landed ;  the  small  house  where  they 
went  by  moonlight;  the  beautiful  but  primitive  girl 
who  defended  the  young  men  against  her  grand- 
mother; the  "astrico"  where  they  spent  the  long  sum- 
mer evenings. 

He  was  plunged  in  this  meditation  when  Captain 
Ruser  aroused  him :  "We  shall  be  compelled  to  anchor 

94 


THE    LIBERATORS 

about  a  mile  out  in  the  bay,  so  you  had  better  get  your 
luggage  ready  to  go  ashore.  Quarantine  will  not  de- 
lay us  long." 

The  boat  had  scarcely  cast  anchor  when  Randolph 
heard  his  name  lustily  called  from  the  water.  Amidst 
threescore  boats  and  launches,  of  all  sizes  and  ages, 
and  amidst  the  din  of  rival  boatmen  striving  for  first 
place  around  the  ship's  ladders,  Randolph  recognized 
Frederic  Ames,  and,  the  launch  coming  into  full  view, 
he  saw  the  whole  family,  including  Mrs.  Strong,  wav- 
ing him  a  cordial  welcome.  He  returned  their  salute, 
and  gave  his  steward  an  extra  tip  to  get  his  luggage 
off  among  the  first.  Soon  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his 
friends,  who  convinced  him  readily  enough  that  he 
was  "the  long  lost  brother"  for  whom  they  had  been 
waiting.  There  was  no  "Mr.  Randolph"  from  any 
person  in  this  greeting,  but  it  was  "George,"  with  a 
heartiness  that  delighted  his  soul. 

"What  a  glorious-looking  new  boat  the  Dresden  is, 
and  what  a  grand  time  we  shall  have  going  home  on 
her !"  exclaimed  Virginia,  and  then  added,  "You  know, 
George,  we  have  but  five  days  until  she  sails,  so  we 
have  arranged  a  complete  program  for  you.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  obey  orders.  Is  that  very  difficult  for 
you?"  and  the  brown  eyes  were  beaming  undisguised 
joy  upon  him. 

95 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"We  met  the  Hardings  in  Paris,  and  they  both  sent 
their  love  to  you.  They  so  much  wanted  to  join  us 
here,  but  were  compelled  to  sail  for  America  two 
weeks  ago,"  said  Mrs.  Ames.  George  had  met  the 
architect  and  his  wife  on  his  Easter  visit  to  New 
York. 

It  took  the  launch  but  a  few  minutes  to  reach  the 
wharf,  where,  amidst  the  din  of  cabbies,  porters,  little 
Italian  ragamuffins,  who  are  a  real  joy  when  one  be- 
comes accustomed  to  them,  the  party  made  its  way  to 
two  beautiful  new  French  cars,  which  Mr.  Ames  had 
purchased  in  Paris  and  in  which  they  had  motored  to 
Naples.  As  if  by  natural  adjustment,  Randolph  found 
himself  with  Mrs.  Strong,  Virginia  and  Frederic, 
while  the  others  led  the  way  through  the  busy  and 
noisy  streets  and  up  the  hill  to  Bertolini's.  They  were 
joined  at  breakfast  by  Edwin  Van  Cise,  son  of  the 
famous  New  York  banker.  They  had  met  Mr.  Van 
Cise  at  Bertolini's,  and  as  he  was  to  sail  on  the  Dres- 
den and  had  no  particular  plans  of  his  own  while  in 
Naples,  they  had  asked  him  to  become  one  of  their 
party. 

Edwin  Van  Cise  was  a  young  man  of  about  Fred- 
eric's age,  of  dark  complexion  and  athletic  build,  and 
during  his  college  term  had  been  one  of  the  best  play- 
ers on  Yale's  football  team.    He  and  Margaret  Ames 

96 


THE    LIBERATORS 

had  been  friends  and  chums  since  their  childhood,  and 
the  sentiment  of  Edwin,  naively  expressed  when  a  lad 
of  eight,  that  he  was  "going  to  marry  Margaret  when 
he  got  big,"  had  shown  no  evidence  of  change  as  the 
two  grew  older. 

"You  must  see  the  Museum  and  the  Aquarium  this 
forenoon,  and  then  we  shall  climb  to  the  heights  for 
the  view  this  afternoon,"  said  Virginia,  as  she  and 
Mrs.  Strong  and  Frederic  went  with  Randolph  on  the 
elevator  down  the  shaft  in  the  solid  rock  upon  which 
the  hotel  was  built.  As  they  passed  through  the  busi- 
ness streets,  the  hucksters,  peddlers,  cab  drivers  and 
street  hawkers  of  all  kinds  made  such  a  din  as  Ran- 
dolph had  never  heard  before. 

"This  is  the  quiet  of  a  desert  compared  to  some 
years  ago,"  said  Mrs.  Strong.  "And  really  Naples  is 
becoming  a  clean  city.  You  should  have  seen  the  filth 
of  this  place  the  first  time  I  visited  it.  There  was  not 
much  choice  then  between  Naples  and  Constantinople, 
so  far  as  cleanliness  was  concerned.  They  both  relied 
upon  the  steep  grades  of  their  streets  and  the  frequent 
rains  to  do  the  work  of  street  cleaning." 

They  were  passing  one  of  the  famous  restaurants  of 
the  city  when  Frederic  exclaimed: 

"Mark  well  that  place,  George,  and  if  you  ever  eat 
fish  there  be  sure  to  ascertain  the  price  of  it  in  ad- 

97 


THE    LIBERATORS 

vance.  When  I  was  here  two  years  ago  a  friend  of 
mine,  young  Wilson,  from  Chicago — you  know  him, 
George — was  with  me,  and  we  went  in  there  for 
luncheon.  We  wanted  fish,  so  I  called  the  head  waiter 
and  in  the  best  Italian  I  could  command  I  told  him  of 
our  gastronomic  ambition.  Yes,  they  had  fish,  the  best 
ever,  just  fresh  from  the  sea ;  'lupo  marino,  in  French, 
monsieur,  loup  de  mer,'  he  said.  Both  names  have  a 
fascinating  sound  to  me,  even  now,  and  a  memory 
clings  about  them,  such  as  a  Reuben  must  cherish  for 
the  first  gold-brick  man  of  his  acquaintance.  The  head 
waiter  brought  the  loxip  de  mer  on  a  large  platter;  it 
looked  fine  and  fresh,  and  we  were  quite  certain  that 
no  fish  would  appease  our  hunger  as  would  this  par- 
ticular lupo  marino,  alias  loup  de  mer.  We  had  to  wait 
quite  a  while ;  but  what  was  the  value  of  time  com- 
pared to  the  pleasure  we  would  have  in  devouring  this 
gorgeous  loup  de  mer.  I  had  plenty  of  leisure  to 
look  over  the  menu,  but  nowhere  could  I  find 
loup  de  mer,  although  French  names  and  values  were 
used,  neither  could  I  find  the  price  thereof.  But,  pouf ! 
— what  did  that  matter?  Everybody  knows  that  at 
swell  restaurants  the  choice  specialties  are  not  put  on 
the  card.  Then,  too,  no  doubt,  this  splendid  fish,  this 
wolf  of  the  sea — king  or  queen  as  it  might  be — had 
been  kept  especially  for  us,     I  discovered  afterward 

98 


THE    LIBERATORS 

that  this  was  undoubtedly  the  case,  although  I  never 
thought  that  either  Wilson  or  myself  quite  looked  the 
part. 

"Finally,  our  loiip  de  mer  came,  in  all  its  radiant 
glory,  and  we  fell  upon  it  with  appetites  that  had  be- 
come still  more  strenuous  by  our  long  wait.  We  had 
plenty  of  et  ceteras,  but  they  were  all  on  the  card  and 
the  prices  were  given  in  plain  figures,  so  of  course  they 
were  what  any  vulgar  guest  could  get  any  day.  But 
loup  de  mer?  Well,  I  guess  not !  It  is  only  caught  on 
special  occasions,  and,  of  course,  is  only  served  to 
special  people. 

"The  fish  was  really  very  good,  and  we  left  nothing 
of  it  but  the  bones. 

"Then  the  bill  came,  and  concurrently  with  that 
event  the  head  waiter  had  an  urgent  call  to  the  farthest 
end  of  the  dining-hall.  The  et  ceteras  were  all  right, 
and  I  never  before  realized  just  how  honest,  and  up- 
right, and  sincere,  and  loyal,  et  ceteras  were.  But  the 
loup  de  mer — thirty-five  francs — seven  dollars!  I 
passed  the  bill  over  to  Wilson  without  saying  a  word. 
He  arose,  went  across  the  room  to  a  large  mirror  and 
gazed  earnestly  at  himself. 

"  'I  can't  understand  it,'  he  said  upon  his  return. 
'You  look  all  right,  and  I  can't  find  any  green  leaves 

99 


THE    LIBERATORS 

or  alfalfa  in  my  hair.  I  think  we'd  better  take  the 
first  boat  home.' 

"We  paid  the  bill,  gave  the  waiter  the  usual  tip,  and 
smiled  blandly  on  the  head  waiter  as  we  went  out.  The 
next  day  we  went  back  there  for  luncheon,  and  I  called 
the  same  head  waiter,  I  asked  him  if  they  had  some 
loup  de  mer  as  good  as  that  which  we  had  yesterday. 

"  'Si,  si,  Sen  or/  he  exclaimed,  'much  finer.* 

I  told  him  to  bring  us  one,  and  he  brought  a  beauty 
— much  larger  and  finer  than  the  one  of  the  day 
before.  Then  I  asked  him  in  French,  so  as  to  make 
sure  he  would  not  misunderstand  me,  or  I  him,  how 
much  it  would  be? 

"  'Oh,  I  see !  Monsieur  is  living  here  for  a  while  ? 
Under  these  circumstances  the  price  will  be  five  francs/ 
and  he  gave  me  his  sweetest  smile." 

Frederic  threw  all  of  his  dramatic  talent,  which  was 
considerable,  into  this  recital,  and  his  audience  roared 
with  laughter. 

"But  it  illustrates  the  business  methods  of  these  peo- 
ple," he  added.  *^So  many  fool  nouveau  riche  Ameri- 
cans go  galloping  through  Europe,  making  a  vulgar 
display  of  their  wealth,  giving  dollars  for  tips  where 
francs  are  the  expected  ones,  that,  of  course,  these  peo- 
ple take  advantage  of  them.    Why  shouldn't  they? 

"Some  of  the  large  restaurants  in  New  York  take 

loo 


THE    LIBERATORS 

similar  advantage  of  the  splurging  new  mine  owner 
from  the  West,  when  it  is  apparent  that  he  has  his  fam- 
ily in  New  York  for  the  first  time  and  wishes  to  make 
an  impression.  The  trouble  about  this  thing  in  Europe 
is  that  the  innocent  have  to  suffer  for  the  guilty,  and 
students,  and  others  who  can  least  afford  it,  who  travel 
for  the  real  education  and  culture  derived  from  travel- 
ing, are  compelled  to  fight  the  battles  against  these  at- 
tempts at  gouging.  Father's  interpretation  of  Italian 
impositions  is  that  the  bands  of  brigands  that  years  ago 
infested  Italy  and  Sicily  have  all  gone  into  the  hotel 
and  restaurant  and  guide  business,  finding  the  booty 
much  greater,  and  the  risks  much  less  than  when  they 
took  all  the  traveler  had  at  the  point  of  a  gun." 

"Well,  the  brigands  had  their  charm,  in  any  event," 
said  Mrs.  Strong.  "Somehow  it  seems  tame  to  go  to 
the  Coliseum  in  Rome  at  night,  now,  when  one  recalls 
the  thrilling  tales  of  kidnapping  by  dark-masked  brig- 
ands, only  a  few  years  ago." 

"If  you  keep  up  your  public  work  you'll  have  your 
hands  full  enough  of  brigands,  although  they  may  not 
wear  masks,"  laughingly  rejoined  Frederic. 

They  had  arrived  at  the  Aquarium,  and,  alighting, 
they  showed  Randolph  what  is  probably  the  most  inter- 
esting collection  of  fish  in  the  world.  Then  they  went 
to  the  Museum,  where  the  noon  hour  still  found  them. 

loi 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Come,"  said  Frederic,  "we  are  to  have  loup  de  mer 
for  luncheon ;  the  hour  and  the  man  are  here,  and  all 
we  lack  is  the  famous  loup." 

They  went  down  the  street  a  few  blocks  to  Gar- 
rono's  noted  restaurant,  where  the  head  waiter  smil- 
ingly recognized  Frederic,  and  where  they  had  most 
delicious  loup  de  mer  at  a  total  cost  of  eight  francs. 
Then  they  motored  up  the  hill  to  the  splendid  road  that 
runs  for  miles  back  of  Naples. 

With  the  enchantment  of  the  view,  the  glories  of  the 
warm,  but  not  hot,  September  day,  and  the  pleasure  of 
being  with  these  people,  whom  he  liked  better  than  any 
others  on  earth,  except  his  own  mother  and  sister,  Ran- 
dolph felt  that  his  cup  of  joy  was  full  to  the  brim. 


102 


Chapter  XI. 

"I  can  dance  the  tarantella,  George ;  do  you  want  me 
to  teach  you  ?"  said  Virginia  to  Randolph  as  they  were 
all  gathered,  after  dinner,  in  the  large  drawing-room 
of  the  family  suite  at  Bertolini's. 

From  the  open  windows  could  be  seen  Vesuvius,  in 
pacific  mood,  smoking  her  evening  pipe;  the  lights 
along  the  coast  as  far  as  Castellammare ;  the  small  fish- 
ing boats,  with  their  lanterns  and  torches,  preparing 
for  their  nightly  trip.  The  air  was  filled  with  the 
music  of  the  guitar,  the  tambourine,  the  sweet  voices 
of  the  natives.  On  the  tops  of  several  houses  people 
were  gathered  on  what  they  called  the  "astrico"  for 
the  evening's  recreation.  Some  were  reading,  some 
reclining,  while  others  were  dancing,  and  still  others 
were  singing,  or  playing  on  musical  instruments. 

"Yes,  by  all  means,  I  should  love  to  have  you  teach 
me  the  tarantella,"  replied  Randolph.  "But  let  me 
see  you  dance  it  first." 

"Wait  till  I  get  my  castanets,  and  you,  Frederic, 
must  get  the  tambourine." 

They  were  back  in  a  moment,  and  with  Frederic 
playing  the  native  accompaniment,  she  gathered  her 
skirts  ever  so  daintily  in  one  hand,  and,  with  the  casta- 

103 


THE    LIBERATORS 

nets  held  aloft  and  keeping  time  in  the  other  hand,  she 
danced  that  wild,  free  and  most  graceful  of  all  national 
dances.  The  perfect  lines  of  her  body,  the  artistic 
poise,  the  always  graceful  attitude,  the  laughing  eyes, 
the  wealth  of  dark  brown  hair  clustering  carelessly 
over  her  beautiful  Beatrice-Hke  forehead,  the  little  ears 
peeping  through  stray  waves  of  hair,  the  magnetism  of 
her  youth,  formed  a  picture  and  wove  a  spell  which 
were  never  effaced  from  Randolph's  mind. 

They  encored  her,  and  again  she  danced  it,  with 
never-tiring  enthusiasm,  and  with  the  real  abandon  of 
a  native,  smiling  all  the  while,  apparently  intoxicated 
with  the  spirit  of  the  dance  and  the  place  and  the 
surroundings. 

"Now,  come,"  she  said  to  Randolph,  who  was  a 
perfect  dancer,  and  together  they  went  through  the 
wild  and  fascinating  figures. 

This  ended,  she  took  the  guitar,  and,  asking  Fred- 
eric to  accompany  her  with  the  tambourine,  they 
played  those  soft,  beautiful  airs  of  Southern  Italy, 
those  airs  which  captivated  the  sensitive  soul  of 
Lamartine :  "Although  the  instruments  were  gay 
ones,  and  the  actions  of  the  players  those  of  joy,  the 
melodies  themselves  were  sad.  The  tones,  delicate 
and  rare,  went  to  the  heart  and  there  touched  the 
sleeping  chords.     Such  is  music  everywhere,  when  it 

104 


THE    LIBERATORS 

is  not  a  senseless  play  upon  the  ears,  but  the  har- 
monious wail  of  passions  which  come  from  the  soul 
through  the  voice.  Every  accent  is  a  sigh,  and  every 
note  brings  a  tear  with  its  sound.  It  is  impossible  to 
strike  hard  upon  the  heart  without  bringing  out  tears, 
so  full  of  sadness  is  human  nature  at  the  core,  and  so 
easily  does  that  which  affects  it  force  the  dregs  to 
our  lips  and  the  mist  to  our  eyes." 

Ten  o'clock  came  before  any  of  them  realized  it. 

"So  you  won't  change  your  mind  and  go  in  the 
auto?"  asked  Mr.  Ames  of  Virginia. 

"Oh,   no!'*    she    exclaimed,    "Half    the    beauty    of 

the  trip  consists  in  loitering  along.     We  don't  want 

to  go  over  the  Amalfi  road  as  we  would  skim  along 

Riverside  Drive.    No,  Gertrude,  George,  Frederic  and 

I  will  take  the  train  to  Pompeii,  and  there  get  us  a 

landau,  decorated  in  real  Sicilian  style.    We  will  join 

you  at  the  Vittoria  in  Sorrento  in  the  afternoon." 
*         *         *         * 

"Isn't  it  gorgeous !  This  is  the  way  to  travel  in  the 
dreamy,  sleepy  country  which  we  are  about  to  enter," 
and  Virginia  clapped  her  hands  with  joy,  as  the  gaily 
bedecked  landau  drove  up  to  the  Hotel  Suisse,  where 
they  had  lunch  after  doing  Pompeii. 

Tufts  of  green  foliage  reached  above  the  brilliant 
and  variegated  flowers  encircling  the  collars  of  the 

IOt 


THE    LIBERATORS 

three  horses.  Vines,  with  rosettes  gracefully  inter- 
twined every  few  inches,  ran  from  the  blinders  on 
the  bridle  to  the  crupper,  and  along  the  traces  of  each 
horse.  The  driver  had  attired  himself  in  blue  trousers, 
a  brown  coat  and  a  light-colored  soft  hat,  encircled 
with  a  brilliant  red  ribbon. 

They  were  soon  on  the  road  winding  along  the 
shore  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  now  passing  through  the 
streets  of  some  village  or  town,  now  loitering  close  to 
the  placid  blue  of  the  waters.  A  spirit  of  reverie 
took  possession  of  the  travelers,  and  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape  seemed  to  occupy  every  silent  thought.  Very 
little  was  said  until  Sorrento  Vv^as  reached,  when  Mrs. 
Strong  pointed  out  the  places  of  most  interest  to 
strangers. 

They  drove  through  the  main  streets  of  the  town 
until  they  came  to  the  entrance  to  the  Vittoria  grounds, 
and  then  through  tropical  foliage  and  resplendent 
flower  beds  they  wended  their  way  to  the  hotel,  where 
the  other  party  had  preceded  them  by  a  couple  of 
hours. 

Randolph  had  read  many  descriptions  of  the  beauty 
of  Sorrento,  but  the  ineffable  charm  of  the  place  had 
not  been  described.  As  the  calm  of  an  Italian  evening 
settled  over  the  town,  it  seemed  to  him  like  a  fairyland 
conjured  up  from  some  dim  memory  of  the  past. 

io6 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  whole  party  went  down  on  the  terrace  by  the 
bay  and  watched  the  day  gradually  shade  off  into  hazy 
twilight.  The  lights  of  Naples  began  to  shimmer  in 
the  now  dark  blue  of  the  sea.  Capri  sat  silent  and 
stately,  and  an  echo  of  distant  music  seemed  to  float 
from  its  shores.  The  Apennines,  covered  to  the  top 
with  verdure^melted  into  the  harmonious  lines  of  the 
picture.  Even  Vesuvius  appeared  to  be  subdued  by  the 
scene,  and  its  usually  dark  and  grim-visaged  outline 
looked  calm  and  reposeful.  Edwin  Van  Cise  and 
Margaret  strolled  to  the  far  end  of  the  terrace ;  Fred- 
eric and  Mrs.  Strong  had  gone  in  some  other  direction, 
while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ames  had  returned  to  the  hotel. 

When  Randolph  came  out  of  his  reverie  he  dis- 
covered that  he  and  Virginia  were  quite  alone. 

"Oh,  I  thought  you  never  were  coming  back!"  she 
laughingly  said  to  him. 

"It  was  rude  of  me,  wasn't  it?  I  didn't  realize 
where  I  was." 

"Didn't  we  tell  you  so  at  Amesmount?  This  place 
gets  into  the  blood,  and  they  say  it  departs  only  with 
life.  But  look  at  Capri !  See  the  glorious  rays  of  the 
moon  upon  it!" 

The  moon  had  just  come  over  the  crest  of  the 
mountain,  and  it  shone  through  the  haze  of  the  right 

107 


THE    LIBERATORS 

with  the  soft  effulgence  of  a  vestry  light  around  an 
altar. 

''I  never  see  the  moonlight  upon  the  water  that  I  do 
not  recall  the  'Fire  Worshippers/  "  she  said. 

"How  much  of  it  do  you  recall  on  such  occasions  ?" 
he  asked,  smiling  at  her  half  playfully,  though  his 
eyes  were  dreamy  and  serious. 

"Oh,  all  of  that  part  where  Hafed  scales  the  cliff 
to  Hinda's  bower,  where  she  makes  her  beautiful 
wish  and  utters  her  sad  lament." 

"I  think  it  is  one  of  the  most  exquisite  love  wishes 
ever  penned  in  any  language,"  he  said,  "but  I  always 
imagined  one  had  to  be  in  love  to  appreciate  it  fully. 
Is  it  not  so?" 

"Possibly  I  am  not  capable  of  appreciating  its  deep- 
est beauty,  for  I  never  in  imagination  filled  Hafed's 
part  with  any  real  person.  But  if  the  ideal  man  ever 
comes  into  my  life  that  is  the  way  I  want  to  love  him." 

"He  will  be  very  happy,"  Randolph  replied  simply, 
but  there  was  a  tone  in  his  voice  she  had  never  heard 
before. 

At  this  moment  Mrs,  Strong  and  Frederic  returned 
to  warn  them  that  the  dinner  hour  had  arrived. 

"Do  buy  some  of  their  flowers,  Frederic.  They 
have  been  running  behind  our  carriage  for  a  mile," 

io3 


THE    LIBERATORS 

said  Virginia,  as  two  pretty-faced  little  girls  called  out 
their  posies  to  the  travelers. 

The  carriage  stopped,  and  Frederic  bought  all  the 
flowers  the  children  had,  rather  indifferent  little 
bunches  tied  with  old  twine ;  but  the  happy  faces  after 
the  purchase  made  amends  for  the  sorry-looking 
flowers. 

"Do  you  see  those  children  just  ahead?  We  shall 
have  no  peace  until  we  buy  their  flowers  also,  and 
thus  it  will  be  all  along  the  road.  They  have  a  sort  of 
secret  telegraph  system  by  which  the  'easy  marks'  arS 
pointed  out  miles  in  advance,"  said  Frederic. 

It  was  as  he  predicted  until  they  had  more  bouquets 
than  they  could  carry,  when  they  unloaded  all  of 
them  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

Soon  after  leaving  Sorrento  they  passed  over  a  spur 
of  the  mountains,  and  the  beautiful  Gulf  of  Salerno 
broke  upon  their  vision.  In  some  places  the  road  was 
on  cliffs  projecting  over  the  sea  at  a  height  of  two 
thousand  feet,  but  everywhere  so  solidly  walled  with 
masonry  that  no  accident  was  possible  in  that  direc- 
tion. With  the  changing  green  of  the  Apennines  on  one 
side  and  the  changeable  blue  of  the  sea  on  the  other, 
with  white  sails  here  and  there  resting  against  the 
variable  blue,  and  red-topped  castles  or  monasteries 
appearing  against  the  ever-shifting  green  of  the  moun- 

109 


THE    LIBERATORS 

tains,  with  the  air  laden  with  the  fragrance  and  balm  of 
the  trees  and  with  the  soft  haze  of  the  water,  Randolph 
felt  every  sense  yielding  to  the  spell  and  every  wish 
that  it  should  never  end. 

"I  don't  wonder  that  you  are  enraptured  with  your 
Amalfi  country.  I  wish  I  could  stay  here  forever,"  he 
saii  "How  refreshing  it  must  be  to  those  who  are 
worn  out  with  mental  work  and  worry." 

"Haven't  you  noticed  how  many  men,  young  and  old, 
we  have  met  walking,  with  their  bundles  thrown  over 
their  shoulders  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Strong.  "Many  of  these 
are  students  in  European  universities,  others  are  pro- 
fessors, others  are  business  men  from  the  cities.  They 
tramp  through  here  leisurely,  stopping  over  night  at 
the  fishing  villages.  You  can  imagine  the  rest  they 
get  from  such  a  trip." 

They  had  descended  now  to  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
were  in  the  midst  of  a  fishing  village.  On  the  beach 
fifty  people — old  men  and  women,  girls  and  boys, 
maidens  and  youths — were  tugging  away  at  the  line 
of  a  huge  fishing  net,  which  seemed  to  be  anchored 
quite  a  distance  out. 

"What  sport  it  would  be  to  help  them!"  cried  Vir- 
ginia.   "Do  ask  them  if  we  may,  Frederic?" 

Frederic  called  to  them  in  Italian,  and  asked  if  they 
would  like  to  have  their  help,  and  a  chorus  of  "Si  si, 

no 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Senor,"  was  the  reply.  So  the  whole  party  alighted, 
and  for  a  half  hour  they  tugged  away  at  the  net  with 
the  natives,  much  to  the  joy  of  those  simple  people. 
When  they  left  the  Italians  shouted  their  thanks  with 
profuseness:     "Grazie,  Senore!  Grade,  Senori." 

"I  wonder  if  that  isn't  the  first  useful  work  I  ever 
did  in  my  life,"  Virginia  said. 

At  noon  they  drove  through  the  tunnel  in  the  moun- 
tain which  leads  into  Amalfi,  and  soon  they  had 
climbed  the  steep  road  to  the  Cappuccini-Convento,  an 
old  Capuchin  monastery,  but  now  a  very  delightful 

hostelry. 

*        *        *        * 

"You  promised  to  recite  Longfellow's  'Amalfi'  tc 
me.  What  better  place  and  time  than  now  ?"  Randolph 
said  to  Virginia,  as  they  sat  after  dinner  on  a  rustic 
seat  on  the  terrace  not  far  from  the  hotel.  Mrs. 
Strong  had  been  with  them,  but  had  returned  to  the 
house  for  a  wrap.  The  others  had  gone  down  into 
the  village  to  get  souvenirs. 

"Not  the  whole  of  it,  for  it's  too  long — but  only  the 
two  stanzas  I  find  myself  often  murmuring  when 
winter  comes  on  in  far-off  America: 

"  'Sweet  the  memory  is  to  me 
Of  a  land  beyond  the  sea, 

III 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Where  the  waves  and  mountains  meet, 
Where  amid  her  mulberry  trees 
Sits  Amalfi  in  the  heat, 
Bathing  ever  her  white  feet    . 
In  the  tideless  summer  seas. 

"  'This  is  an  enchanted  land ! 
Round  the  headlands  far  away 
Sweeps  the  blue  Salernian  bay 
With  its  sickle  of  white  sand ; 
Further  still   and  furthermost 
On  the  dim  discovered  coast 
Paestum  with  its  ruins  lies, 
And  its  roses  all  in  bloom 
Seem  to  tinge  the  fatal  skies 
Of  that  lonely  land  of  doom.' " 

The  sweet  cadences  of  her  voice  brought  out  the 
full  beauty  of  the  lines. 

"Did  you  not  see  the  numerous  marked  places  on  the 
cliffs  and  crags  as  we  came  along  to-day,  at  each  of 
which  it  is  said  that  some  one  has  committed  suicide? 
Why  any  one  should  wish  to  commit  suicide  amid  such 
surroundings  I  cannot  comprehend ;  but  I  have  often 
thought  that  when  I  die  I  should  like  to  be  buried  in 
this  mountain,  just  above  the  hotel.    I  can  understand 

112 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Helen  Hunt  Jackson's  wish  to  be  buried  in  Cheyenne 
Mountain,  and  how  I  long  to  see  that  noble  place, 
which  I  feel  I  know  as  well  as  I  do  this  one !  I  can 
appreciate  the  sentiment  which  so  infatuates  some 
natures  with  certain  spots  of  this  beautiful  earth  that 
they  never  want  to  feel  there  will  be  a  separation,"  and 
the  laughing  eyes  of  the  dancer  of  the  tarantella  had 
become  the  fathomless  ones  of  the  dreamer. 

Randolph  had  long  ago  discovered  that  there  were 
two  distinct  natures  in  this  girl,  both  sweet,  both  fas- 
cinating ;  but,  like  the  music  of  this  country,  one  strain 
represented  joy,  the  other  sorrow.  Mrs.  Strong  had 
told  him  that  often  they  would  find  her  in  tears,  or 
with  a  nervous  chill,  from  reading  some  poem  or  story 
that  stirred  the  depths  of  her  nature. 

This  night  she  was  in  one  of  her  sorrowful  moods. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  atmosphere  of  the  place  which  she 
loved  so  well,  and  from  which  she  was  loath  to  be 
separated.  Perhaps  it  was  the  natural  reaction  from 
the  joyful  tension  of  the  past  few  days.  Perhaps  new 
and  strange  feelings  were  coursing  through  her  soul. 

In  any  event,  as  the  half-sad,  half-joyful  melodies 
floated  up  from  the  village  below,  she  turned  her  head 
away  to  hide  from  him  the  now  fast-falling  tears.  But 
he  soon  detected  them,  and  with  great  tenderness  he 
talked  to  her  as  he  had  often  talked  to  his  sister  in 

113 


THE    LIBERATORS 

her  hours  of  sorrow.  The  sincere,  direct,  manly 
nature  of  the  youth  never  permitted  him  to  indulge  in 
flippant  talk  to  women,  but  when  his  sympathies  were 
aroused  his  nature  was  as  deep  as  it  was  strong. 

Whatever  tactful  and  sympathetic  words  he  may 
have  uttered,  the  effect  was  magical,  for  she  soon 
brushed  away  her  tears  and  gave  him  the  old  smile,  in 
which  joy  had  gained  the  ascendency. 

When  Mrs.  Strong  returned  she  divined  the  storm 
that  had  so  recently  swept  over  the  soul  of  the  finely 
constructed  and  delicately  responsive  girl,  and  she  led 
the  conversation  along  the  lightest  possible  lines  during 
the  remainder  of  the  evening. 


114 


Chapter  XII. 

"I  pity  the  poor  creatures  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart !" 

"You  are  foolish,  for  t'.iey  are  going  to  much  better 
conditions — to  a  place  where  they  will  be  free,  and  can 
gain  a  fortune  for  themselves  and  their  families." 

The  first  speaker  was  Mrs.  Strong,  the  second  was 
Mr.  Ames,  as-  they  leaned  over  the  railing  on  the 
promenade  deck  to  look  at  the  emigrants  who  had 
taken  passage  on  the  Dresden  at  Naples.  There  were 
two  thousand  of  them,  a  ship's  officer  had  said.  They 
were  poorly  dressed,  many  of  them  in  rags,  and  most 
of  the  women  and  children  looked  as  though  a  bath- 
tub was  an  unknown  article  in  their  civilization. 

"'I  wish  I  could  feel  that  you  are  right,"  she  an- 
swered, "for  it  would  make  some  difference  in  my 
views;  though  we  haven't  progressed  very  much,  at 
the  best,  since  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  when 
our  civilization  consists  of  millions  of  people  in  the 
condition  of  these  poor  creatures,  drudging  their  lives 
away  to  support  a  few  thousand  millionaires,  who  pos- 
sess the  bulk  of  the  money  of  the  world  and  whose 
chief  joy  in  living  seems  to  be  in  the  knowledge  of  the 

115 


THE    LIBERATORS 

fact  that  they  possess  more  money  than  do  their  neigh- 
bors." 

"Put  aside  your  altruistic  doctrine,  Aspasia,  and  even 
you  must  concede  that  their  Hves  will  be  happier  and 
better  than  in  their  native  land,"  he  said. 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,  either.  Byron  expresses  my 
sentiments  on  that  subject: 

"  'The  commonwealth  of  kings,  the  men  of  Rome ! 
And  even  since,  and  now,  fair  Italy ! 
Thou  art  the  garden  of  the  world,  the  home 
Of  all  Art  yields,  and  Nature  can  decree : 
Even  in  thy  desert,  what  is  like  to  thee? 
Thy  very  weeds  are  beautiful,  thy  waste 
More  rich  than  other  climes'  fertility ; 
Thy  wreck  a  glory,  and  thy  ruin  graced 
With  an  immaculate  charm  which  cannot  be  de- 
faced.' 

"Their  country  has  been  shaken  with  almost  every 
social,  political  and  military  revolution  known  to 
Europe,"  she  went  on,  "until  it  is  a  wonder  there  is  any 
nation  left.  The  greed  of  the  strong  has  always  made 
Italy  its  prey.  But  Mother  Nature  has  faithfully  smiled 
on  the  fair  land  through  it  all,  and  where  on  earth  is 
there  such  another  spot?    These  people  leave  all  that 


TUB    LIBERATORS 

Byron  describes  for  a  freedom  which  they  will  find  Is 
dead  sea  fruit,  and  a  prosperity  which  the  first  breath 
of  approaching  social  revolution  will  sweep  away,  until 
more  just  conditions  are  established.  But  the  pity  of 
it  all  is  that  we,  who  had  never  had  the  curse  of  tribal 
rule  and  tyranny,  of  direct  monarchal  rule  and  tyranny, 
of  feudal  rule  and  tyranny,  of  religious  rule  and  ty- 
ranny; who  were  not  handicapped  with  the  customs 
of  an  unjust  and  despotic  past;  who  had  no  titled 
aristocracy  to  support ;  whose  government  was  founded 
with  all  the  wisdom  and  follies  of  the  ages  before  us — • 
that  we  should  have  fastened  a  rule  upon  ourselves 
that  is  worse  and  more  oppressive,  because  more  sub- 
tle, than  ever  blighted  any  of  these  nations.  The  crud- 
est part  is  that  we  cannot  in  reality  offer  what  we  say 
we  can,  'an  asylum  to  the  oppressed  of  all  nations.'  " 

"Tut,  tut,  my  dear  Aspasia!  Your  theories  would 
kill  all  individual  ambition  and  effort,  and  we  would  be 
a  nation  of  sluggards." 

'''Far  from  it,"  she  said  with  emphasis.  "That  is  a 
sophistical  argument  which  is  being  used  in  the 
United  States  to  mislead  the  people.  I  am  greatly 
surprised  if  you  have  not  gone  below  the  surface  of 
such  stuff.  My  plan  will  appeal  to  the  ambition  and 
individuality  of  every  citizen  as  they  have  never  been 
appealed  to  before.     You  know  that  the  spirit  of  the 

117 


THE    LIBERATORS 

age  is  consolidation,  and,  under  the  vast  industrial 
combinations  of  the  United  States,  what  opportunity, 
what  individualism,  have  the  millions  of  employees? 
For  the  few,  yes,  there  are  tremendous  opportuni- 
ties! But  those  few  are  generally  favorites,  without 
particular  merit,  and  whom  fortune,  not  ambition,  not 
individualism,  has  thrown  into  position.  The  Indus- 
trial Captains  of  America  have  already  crushed  in- 
dividualism, and  if  you  are  searching  for  those  who 
have  taken  longer  strides  toward  absolute  socialism 
than  have  any  others  in  our  beloved  country,  you  do 
not  need  to  take  your  field  glass  from  a  few  build- 
ings in  and  around  Wall  Street." 

"But  your  system  of  nationalizing  and  municipaliz- 
ing all  these  great  industries,  which  have  to  deal  in  a 
large  and  constant  way  with  the  public,  will  not  re- 
store the  individualism  which  you  say  no  longer  exists ; 
and  all  experience  in  our  country  demonstrates  that  it 
will  cost  more  to  operate  them,  and  that  the  service 
will  not  be  nearly  so  efficient,"  he  said. 

"Again,  I  think  you  are  mistaken  on  both  proposi- 
tions, Mr.  Ames.  You  know  that  you  Captains  of  In- 
dustry would  not  long  have  stood  for  the  miserable 
system  of  government  espionage  and  blackmail,  called 
regulation.  If  you  could  not  have  overthrown  it  at 
the  polls,  you  would  have  been  the  most  ardent  cham- 

Ii8 


THE    LIBERATORS 

pions  of  government  ownership  yourselves ;  for  when 
the  government  undertook,  arbitrarily,  to  fix  the  limit 
of  your  capitalization  and  earnings  and  expenses  and 
rates,  that  government  was  striking  individualism 
'higher  up.'  Eh?"  And  she  gave  him  a  side  glance 
which  was  more  expressive  than  were  her  words. 

He  looked  out  across  the  water,  but  made  no 
answer. 

"You  captains,"  she  continued,  "struck  down  in- 
dividualism all  along  the  line  of  your  industries  up  to 
the  shoulder-strap  brigade,  and  the  government  struck 
down  their  pretensions.  The  moment  you  people  can- 
not control  the  elasticity  of  your  capitalization  and 
earnings,  that  moment  your  ambition  ceases,  and  you, 
then,  would  rather  have  the  government  purchase  and 
operate  these  properties  through  skilled  men,  with  its 
own  capital,  than  through  political  pigmies  on  your 
capital.  And  so  it  was  that  when  regulation  was  in 
vogue,  you  magnates  just  switched  the  field  of  your 
operations  from  legislative  halls  to  judicial  tribunals, 
for  the  judges  had  the  last  say  on  what  constituted 
'reasonable  charges,  reasonable  rates,'  etc.  We  had 
a  saturnalia  of  judicial  misinterpretation  of  law  such 
as  I  hope  our  country  will  never  see  again.  There 
were  notable  and  noble  exceptions — but  they  need  no 
defender." 

119 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Oh,  come,  Aspasia,  you  are  talking  wild-eyed  non- 
sense," he  impatiently  said. 

"The  point  I  am  attempting  to  make  is  this:  you 
railway  people  are  performing  what  are  really  gov- 
ernment functions  in  the  transportation  of  passengers. 
Unless  you  are  left  unrestricted  in  the  performance  of 
your  duties,  you  claim  that  your  civil  rights  are  being 
interfered  with,  and  that  your  individualism  is  de- 
stroyed. Left  unrestricted,  and  being  quasi-public 
officials,  your  ambition  and  your  interest  naturally  lead 
you  into  controlling  all  other  branches  of  government, 
because,  in  that  way,  you  can  obtain  the  biggest,  most 
valuable  results,  and  that  is  always  the  goal  of  un- 
restricted individualism  in  modern  society.  When  the 
millennium  of  freedom  preached  by  some  schools  of 
scientific  anarchists  arrives  it  will  be  different.  So 
government  becomes,  not  your  master,  but  your  crea- 
ture, and  as  your  creature  you  use  it  with  tyrannous 
force  to  make  all  other  classes  of  society  pay  you 
tribute ;  and  this  is  the  foundation  of  feudalism,  the 
basis  of  class  rule  in  our  country — a  rule  which  will 
eventually  destroy  all  semblance  of  free  government 
if  permitted  to  exist.  To  undertake  to  regulate  your 
freedom  of  action  and  to  deal  with  your  money  as  a 
public  fund  constitutes  what  you  financiers  call  a 
governmental  impertinence,  and  it  does  seem  to  be  a 

I20 


THE    LIBERATORS 

defect  such  as  oculists  term,  in  certain  affections  of 
the  eye,  'against  the  rule.'  To  offset  this  impertinence 
you  redoubled  your  efforts  to  control  all  branches  of 
government,  and  the  government,  dealing  through 
novices  with  skilled  mental  athletes,  made  little  head- 
way. The  fault  of  the  whole  matter  is  that  the  gov- 
ernment should  perform  all  duties  belonging  to  it,  and 
should  assume  such  other  functions,  from  time  to 
time,  as  the  interests  and  welfare  of  society  demand." 

^'Which  would  crush  every  ambitious  man  in  Amer- 
ica," he  declared,  with  emphasis. 

"Let  us  see  if  it  would,"  she  replied.  "Let  me  start 
with  the  Brigadier  Generals.  What  a  splendid  Min- 
ister of  Railways  you  would  make !  Under  your  skil- 
ful and  autocratic  hand,  the  combined  railways  of 
America  could  be  operated  for  two-thirds  of  the  ex- 
pense now  incurred,  and  you  know  it.  And  you  would 
be  proud  to  serve  the  government  in  such  a  position 
for  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year,  whereas  now  your 
combined  salaries  must  reach  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  besides  the  millions  which  you  get  in  interest 
and  dividends. 

"But  the  same  spirit  that  influenced  Hamilton  and 
Jefferson  and  Webster  and  Clay  and  Seward,  and 
hundreds  more  in  civil  life,  to  sacrifice  their  ease  and 
comfort  and  income  for  the  service  of  the  State  would 

121 


THE    LIBERATORS 

cause  you  to  do  the  same.  'And  every  man  under  you 
would  be  a  government  employee — a  soldier  of  and  for 
the  people — and  he  would  respond  to  the  call  to  dig 
for  his  country  just  as  loyally  as  to  fight  for  his 
country.  You  must  have  noticed  the  spirit  of  pride 
about  every  person  who  works  for  'Uncle  Sam,'  how- 
ever lowly  the  position.  From  the  Secretary  of  State 
down  to  the  humblest  porter  at  Washington,  they 
seem  to  be  proud  of  the  fact  that  they  are  serving 
their  country.  I  think  I  can  see  this  army  of  em- 
ployees, under  you,  attempting  to  influence  in  any 
way,  except  by  their  votes,  the  result  of  any  election 
in  the  United  States,  even  if  no  regulations  on  that 
question  were  adopted ;  and  I  can  think  of  several 
laws  that  would  absolutely  prevent  abuse  along  this 
line.  With  promotion  dependent  upon  merit,  with  no 
class  getting  rich  and  powerful  and  arrogant  through 
government  favor  and  the  performance  of  government 
functions,  with  a  just  system  of  taxation,  with  the  cost 
of  living  regulated  by  the  government's  ownership  of 
the  transportation  lines,  instead  of  by  the  whim  or 
greed  of  private  operators,  with  all  public  utility  plants 
under  government  ownership  and  operated  by  those 
especially  educated  and  skilled  in  the  work,  I  think 
class  dynamite  bombs  would  disappear  forever;  and 
while  we  might  not  reach  the  dream  of  Plato  in  his 

122 


THE    LIBERATORS 

'Republic,'  or  of  More  in  his  'Utopia,'  we  still  could 
welcome  every  person  to  our  shores  as  the  real  'land 
of  the  free  and  home  of  the  brave.'  " 

"What  a  dreamer  you  are,  Aspasia!  You  carry 
your  head  in  the  clouds  so  much  of  the  time  that 
you  do  not  observe  conditions  as  they  really  exist. 
Do  you  want  the  miserable,  government-owned  rail- 
roads of  Italy  duplicated  in  America?  Byron  never 
rode  on  an  Italian  railway  train,  or  poetry  wouldn't 
have  been  the  character  of  his  compositions  about 
Italy.  I  want  to  assure  you  that  the  government  has 
no  position  from  President  down  that  would  arouse 
one-tenth  the  ambition  in  me  that  my  own  work  does, 
and  that  is  true  of  every  business  man  in  the  United 
States  who  has  succeeded  in  a  large  way.  You  see, 
you  are  so  very  lame  on  your  propositions  that  you 
do  not  undertake  to  answer  the  second  part  of  my 
question." 

"Oh,  about  the  cost  and  efficiency  of  operation. 
Yes,  yes,  that's  easy.  You  see,  my  dear  friend,  in  no 
part  of  our  glorious  Union  has  the  experiment  ever 
been  tried  of  any  community's  owning  and  operating 
all  of  the  public  utility  plants  in  that  community.  Oc- 
casionally the  promoters  or  owners  of  a  water  or 
lighting  plant  take  advantage  of  the  sentiment  in  favor 
of  public  ownership  and  unload  an  antiquated,  water- 

123 


THE    LIBERATORS 

soaked,  stock- jobbing  concern  on  the  dearly  beloved 
public  for  eight  or  ten  times  what  it  is  worth,  and  the 
city  officials,  controlled  by  minions  of  the  other  local 
utility  companies,  or  by  your  patriotic  railway  com- 
panies, either  deliberately  make  public  ownership 
odious  through  their  extravagance  and  imbecility,  or 
else  they  are  such  natural  grafters  that  they  cannot  let 
this  easy  prey  go  by,  when  the  semi-public  institutions, 
that  elected  them  pay  them  with  extravagant  liberality. 
The  people  of  any  city  are  simon-pure  idiots  to  own 
one  public  utility  plant  and  not  own  all.  The  great 
thing  to  be  gained  by  the  change  is  not  this  or  that 
economy,  but  the  death  of  class  rule,  the  reform  of 
corrupt  government,  the  overthrow  of  American 
feudalism,  the  protection  of  every  citizen  in  his  free- 
dom. 

"As  in  the  nation — so  in  the  cities.  When  they  own 
all  these  industries,  the  best  and  most  honest  men  will 
esteem  it  an  honor  to  serve  the  municipality,  as  they  do 
in  Scotland  and  England.  The  grafters,  corporation 
tools  and  political  bosses  will  sell  their  equipment  at 
auction,  for  their  occupation  will  be  gone, 

"You  talk  about  economy  of  operation.  Take  any 
first-class  railway  train  running  between  New  York 
and  Chicago  and  see  the  extravagance  of  management, 
all  of  which  constitutes  a  tribute  which  the  public 

124 


THE    LIBERATORS 

must  pay.  First,  there  is  the  railway  train  proper, 
with  is  officers.  Then  there  is  the  express  car,  with 
its  officers.  Then  the  Pullman  car,  with  its  officers,  all 
charging  high  rates  for  their  distinct  service.  Then 
each  of  these  principal  companies  has  high-salaried 
Brigadier  Generals,  and  they  pay  large  dividends  on 
stock  through  which  a  river  of  water  has  been  turned 
loose.  Surely,  the  government,  acting  through  you,  or 
a  man  of  less  skill,  even,  would  effect  great  savings 
here. 

"You  know  that  under  present  conditions  of  em- 
ployment, many  an  employee  of  these  large  industries 
becomes  petulant  and  irascible.  He  sees  no  chance  for 
promotion,  and  either  degenerates  into  a  common 
grafter,  influenced  thereto  by  official  examples  on  all 
hands,  or  else  he  becomes  surly  over  his  lot  and  does 
not  help  his  employer  with  the  general  public. 

"Every  institution  that  is  operated  by  the  national 
government,  even  under  the  present  system  of  se- 
lecting public  officials  through  the  grace  of  you  cor- 
poration people,  is  efficiently  operated.  The  Post 
Office,  the  Army,  the  Navy — ^who  would  think  of 
letting  them  out  to  private  contractors?  Are  not  the 
health  and  freedom  of  every  inhabitant  of  our  cities 
as  im.portant  as  the  protection  against  a  public  enemy? 
Washington  is  the  only  city  in  America  operated  by 

125 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  national  government,  and  Washington  is  the  most 
artistic,  the  cleanest,  the  freest  from  public  scandal  of 
any  of  our  cities.  Look  at  the  magnificent  manage- 
ment of  our  national  parks  by  the  general  govern- 
ment. In  Yellowstone  there  are  no  timber  thieves,  no 
forest  fires.  It  is  the  only  place  I  know  of  where  the 
barbarous  instincts  of  man  to  kill  are  not  exercised 
on  that  most  beautiful  of  animals — the  deer.  Land, 
animals,  people  are  protected,  simply  because  every- 
body respects  the  mandates  of  the  general  government, 
just  as  they  respect  the  authority  of  the  federal  soldier. 
Not  even  extortion  is  permitted  in  the  Yellowstone 
Park. 

"I  hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when,  over  every 
railroad  station  in  the  country,  shall  appear  the  in- 
scription which  is  now  on  the  arch  at  the  entrance  to 
Yellowstone  National  Park :  TOR  THE  BENEFIT 
AND  ENJOYMENT  OF  THE  PEOPLE.' 

"So  far  as  Italian  railways  are  concerned,"  she  went 
on,  "you  must  remember  that  Italian  independence 
is  scarcely  more  than  two  generations  old,  and  they 
are  yet  a  bankrupt  people,  but  every  year  shows  vast 
strides  all  along  the  line  of  internal  improvements  and 
a  tremendous  advance  in  national  spirit.  But  why  take 
this  pauperized  monarchy,  so  recently  a  dependency,  as 

126 


THE    LIBERATORS 

an  illustration  of  what  the  greatest  repubhc  on  earth 
should  do?" 

At  that  moment  they  heard  the  cheery  voice  of  Mrs. 
Ames. 

"I  have  been  searching  the  boat  for  you,  Gertrude. 
The  young  people  are  making  arrangements  for  the 
costume  party  to-night,  and  they  want  your  help." 

"Well,  Aspasia,  this  is  all  very  interesting,  and  your 
eloquence  deserves  a  more  sympathetic  audience,  for  I 
fear  these  heretical  views  are  wholly  lost  on  me.  You 
will  see  that  man  down  there,  the  one  with  the  red 
shirt,  wheeling  a  banana  cart  up  Broadway  in  less  than 
a  week,  the  happiest  Italian  you  ever  saw,"  and  Mr. 
Ames  pointed  to  a  fine-looking  young  man,  with  glow- 
ing coal-black  eyes  and  flowing  raven  locks. 

"Perhaps  I  shall,  but  that  man  has  the  mien  of  a 
Roman  senator  of  the  old  days,  and  it  may  be  that 
under  our  benign  institutions  he  will  be  most  lucky  to 
become  a  banana  peddler."  Then  after  a  moment's 
hesitation — "Unless,  indeed,  you  people  should  find 
him  subservient  and  useful  enough  to  make  one  of 
your  ideal  governors  or  members  of  Congress,"  and 
she  threw  rather  more  sarcasm  into  her  tone  than  was 
her  wont;  but  she  followed  her  words  with  a  good- 
natured  laugh,  and  disappeared  with  Mrs.  Ames, 


127 


Chapter  XIII. 

Twice  during  the  next  year  Randolph  accompanied 
Frederic  Ames  to  New  York  City  for  a  few  days' 
visit,  and  on  both  of  these  occasions  he  found  time  and 
opportunity  for  horseback  riding  with  Mrs.  Strong 
and  Virginia.  With  Mrs.  Strong  he  kept  up  a  corre- 
spondence on  pubhc  questions,  and  he  found  in  her  a 
veritable  Harriet  Taylor  in  research,  learning  and  bril- 
liancy. At  the  Easter  holiday  visit,  which  he  and 
Frederic  made,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ames  invited  him  to 
join  them  on  a  trip,  which  they  had  planned  to  take 
by  special  train,  through  the  Western  States  to  the 
Pacific.  He  promptly  and  gratefully  accepted  the 
invitation,  as  it  was  a  section  of  the  country  he  had 
long  wished  to  visit. 

So  soon,  therefore,  as  he  and  Frederic  had  com- 
pleted the  social  duties  attendant  upon  their  gradua- 
tion and  final  leavetaking  of  Harvard,  they  went  to 
New  York  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 

The  party,  consisting  of  Mr  and  Mrs.  Ames,  Mrs. 
Strong,  Margaret,  Virginia,  Edwin  Van  Cise,  Frederic 
and  Randolph,  boarded  Mr.  Ames's  special  train  at 
the  Grand  Central  Station  on  the  morning  of  the  6th 
of  July,  and  soon  they  were  hurrying  along  the  wind- 

128 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Ing  banks  of  the  Hudson  toward  that  expansive  and 
ever-receding  country  called  "The  West."  The  route 
lay  through  the  most  important  cities  of  that  region, 
and  the  whole  distance  was  traversed  by  railroads 
that  were  either  owned  or  controlled  by  the  Ames 
interests.  Many  stops  were  made  at  the  smaller  cities 
also,  either  at  the  dictation  of  Mr.  Ames,  or  at  the 
request  of  the  officials  or  commercial  bodies  of  those 
cities. 

The  fact  that  Charles  Henry  Ames  was  to  visit  the 
West  had  been  heralded  all  over  the  land,  and  the  offi- 
cials of  every  city  included  in  the  itinerary  prepared 
to  entertain  him.  At  the  receptions  tendered  the 
party  Randolph  noticed  quite  early  in  the  trip  that 
there  was  an  almost  total  absence  of  the  plain  people, 
and  he  was  struck  by  the  uniform  attendance  of 
United  States  Senators  and  members  of  Congress,  as 
well  as  city  and  State  officials.  It  was  also  apparent 
that  the  Chambers  of  Commerce  and  Boards  of  Trade 
of  most  of  the  cities  were  controlled  by  the  same  influ- 
ences that  elected  the  city  officials,  and  that  often  such 
bodies  were  cringing  and  sycophantic  in  their 
demeanor.  In  one  city,  however,  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  happened  to  be  temporarily  an  independent 
body,  and  it  sent  a  strong  committee  of  intelligent 
citizens  to  interview  Mr.  Ames,     The  chairman  was 

129 


THE    LIBERATORS 

exceptionally  well  posted  on  freight  discriminations 
and  rebates,  and  he  knew  only  too  well,  from  unsuc- 
cessful experience  in  the  manufacturing  business,  how 
unjust  rates  had  killed  the  new  manufacturing  indus- 
tries of  the  West,  and  how  dependent  Western  cities 
were  upon  the  favor  of  railroad  presidents. 

"While  many  unjust  discriminations  against  our 
State  have  been  removed,"  he  said  to  Mr.  Ames, 
"there  are  others  from  which  we  can  get  no  relief, 
and  therefore  we  appeal  directly  to  you.  There  are 
many  articles  of  freight  shipped  from  Chicago  to 
Honolulu  at  a  lesser  tariff  than  is  charged  to  our  city, 
and  in  passenger  and  freight  rates,  from  one  ocean 
to  the  other,  lower  schedules  than  those  given  to  us 
are  accorded  to  cities  much  farther  away.  If  I  may 
trespass  on  your  time,  I  should  like  to  present  a  list 
of  these  abuses  to  you.  It  would  be  utterly  impossible 
for  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  deal  with 
our  grievances  alone  in  five  years,  if  they  gave  us  their 
undivided  time,  and  that,  of  course,  we  cannot  expect. 

"One  matter  that  appeals  to  our  poor  people  espe- 
cially is  the  combination  which  your  road  and  the 
coal  companies  have  entered  into  to  advance  the  price 
of  coal.  Why,  sir,  do  you  know  that  your  local  road 
charges  eighty  cents  a  ton  to  haul  coal  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles  downhill,  and  we  are  compelled  to  pay 

130 


THE    LIBERATORS 

for  bituminous  coal,  which  exists  at  our  very  gates 
in  unlimited  quantities,  the  outrageous  price  of  six 
dollars  a  ton  ?  Our  legislature  has  foreborne  to  enact 
a  State  railway  regulation  law,  for  our  people  do  not 
believe  that  is  an  effective  way  to  correct  these  evils. 
So  we  have  made  free  to  come  to  you  directly  with  our 
complaints." 

Mr.  Ames  replied  cordially,  and  asked  the  chairman 
to  meet  him  in  the  afternoon  in  the  office  of  their  local 
General  Manager. 

At  the  afternoon  meeting  it  developed  that  the  rate 
on  coal  was  fixed  to  prevent  a  slaughter  of  rates  by 
a  competing  railroad  running  to  coal  mines  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  to  the  south,  and  that  the  interests  of 
the  railroads  were  so  interwoven  with  those  of  the 
coal  companies  that  no  relief  could  be  granted  without 
long  and  difficult  negotiations  with  the  other  railroad 
and  with  the  two  coal  companies.  Both  Mr.  Ames 
and  the  General  Manager  promised  that  these  negotia- 
tions should  start  immediately.  So  far  as  the  trans- 
continental rates  were  concerned,  that  matter  was 
still  more  complicated,  as  the  question  of  ocean  com- 
petition, the  long  and  short  haul  and  other  intricate 
tariff  questions  governed  the  charge ;  but,  "Mr.  Ames 
was  glad  to  hear  the  complaints  and  would  do  his  best 
to  adjust  matters   satisfactorily,"    said    the    General 

131 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Manager,  as  a  final  adieu  to  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee. .  '  - 

In  another  city  the  people  had  voted  for  public 
ownership  of  the  local  light  and  water  plants,  owned 
by  the  Ames  interests,  but  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  had  decided  that  the  vote  of  the  people  was  un- 
constitutional. A  committee  of  citizens  waited  upon 
Mr.  Ames  to  ascertain  if  he  would  waive  all  techni- 
calities and  sell  his  plants  to  the  city  at  a  valuation 
which  the  average  net  profits  for  the  period  of  five 
years  last  past  would  capitalize  at  six  per  cent.  To  this 
committee  he  replied  that  he  could  not  think  of  such  a 
thing,  as  capital  was  entitled  to  a  larger  return  upon 
such  investments,  and  that  within  five  years  the  value 
of  both  plants  would  be  more  than  doubled  and  would 
be  earning  six  per  cent,  on  the  doubled  capitalization. 

"But,"  the  committee  replied,  "that  doubled  capitali- 
zation will  have  to  come  out  of  our  people  in  increased 
tolls,  and  do  not  make  the  mistake  of  thinking  they  will 
stand  such  extortion.  You  may  have  the  Supreme 
Court  of  our  State  to-day  to  support  your  technicali- 
ties, but  a  day  of  reckoning  will  come  when  the  peo- 
ple will  rule  through  fearless  judges  and  honest  offi- 
cials." 

In  most  of  the  cities  which  the  party  visited,  how- 
ever, there  was  no  friction,  as  the  committees  which 

132  J 


THE    LIBERATORS 

waited  on  Mr.  Ames  were  composed  chiefly  of  city 
and  State  officials  who  owed  their  election,  in  part,  to 
the  money  contributed  by  his  agents. 

In  one  of  the  small  cities  of  the  great  wheat  belt  of 
the  Northwest,  Mr.  Ames  made  a  speech  to  several 
hundred  farmers,  who  came  to  town  to  see  the  much 
advertised  special  train  and  party. 

"Demagogues,"  he  said,  "denounce  the  recent  rail- 
road consolidations.  The  fact  is  that  great  economy 
characterizes  their  management  and  salaries  and  wages 
have  been  reduced  one-tenth  from  the  scale  which  pre- 
vailed when  there  were  numerous  separate  railway 
lines.  You  men  will  get  the  benefit  in  lower  freight 
rates  on  your  wheat,  thus  increasing  the  profits  of 
your  farms.  To  the  farmer  particularly  these  railroad 
consolidations  are  a  great  boon." 

"But,"  said  one  old  farmer  to  him  after  the  speech, 
"our  freight  rates  have  not  been  reduced  and  the  con- 
solidation has  been  in  effect  five  years.  We  are  also 
told  that  your  road  ships  all  wheat  purchased  by  the 
mill  trust  of  our  State  one  hundred  miles  to  a  trust 
mill,  and  then  back  again  as  flour,  at  a  price  that  per- 
mits the  mill  trust  to  undersell  our  local  independent 
mill.  In  another  section  of  our  State  the  farmers 
were  not  able  to  market  their  crops  last  year  because 

133 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  the  high  freight  tariff,  and  land  vahies  have  gone 
down  enormously  there." 

"We  are  also  told,"  said  another  farmer,  "that  you 
expend  more  money  in  politics  annually  than  all  of  the 
railroads  of  the  West  combined  spent  five  years  ago." 

Mr.  Ames  replied  that  he  was  certain  the  local  Gen- 
eral Manager  would  adjust  any  and  all  unfair  rates, 
and  that  he  knew  nothing  of  any  discrimination ;  so 
far  as  politics  were  concerned,  his  road  only  gave  rea- 
sonable contributions  each  year. 

As  Randolph  sat  in  one  of  the  offices  of  an  Ames 
railway  one  day  during  the  trip,  waiting  for  Mr.  Ames 
and  Frederic  to  finish  some  business  with  the  General 
Manager,  a  pale,  consumptive-looking  young  man 
came  in  and  asked  for  the  Traffic  Manager.  That 
official  responded  from  a  desk  close  to  where  Randolph 
was  seated. 

"What  is  your  business?"  curtly  asked  the  Traffic 
Manager. 

"I  was  forced  to  come  out  here  from  Connecticut 
for  my  health,"  he  replied.  "I  am  growing  peas  down 
the  bay  thirty  miles  from  here,  the  first  that  have  been 
grown  in  this  section,  and  I  have  had  splendid  luck 
this   year."     His   eyes   glowed   with   enthusiasm   and 

134 


THE    LIBERATORS 

pride.  "What  I  want  to  ascertain  from  you  is  the 
lowest  freight  rate  which  I  can  get  to  S ." 

"Yes,"  repUed  the  other,  "how  many  peas  have  you 
raised  ?" 

"About  three  thousand  bushels." 

"And  what  can  you  get  for  them  in  S ?"  asked 

the  Traffic  Manager. 

"Three  dollars  a  bushel." 

"How  much  did  they  cost  you  to  raise?" 

"Sixty  cents  a  bushel,"  he  replied,  with  another  glow 
of  pride. 

"Well,  we  have  no  published  tariff  on  peas,  in  car- 
load lots,  and  we  shall  have  to  charge  you  two  dollars 
and  forty  cents  a  bushel  to  carry  them  to  S ." 

The  young  man  choked  a  sob,  and  with  haggard 
look  dragged  himself  out  of  the  room. 


135 


Chapter  XIV. 

There  were  three  members  of  the  party  who  soon 
tired  of  this,  and  they  agreed  among  themselves  to 
seek  their  own  diversion.  These  three  persons  were 
Mrs.  Strong,  Virginia  and  Randolph.  At  Minneapolis 
they  left  the  party  in  the  ennobling  company  of  city 
officials,  while  they  galloped  out  to  the  Falls  of  Minne- 
haha, and  soon  after  leaving  Omaha  they  planned  to 
let  the  others  go  through  the  Northwest  and  attend 
public  functions,  while  they  communed  with  Mother 
Nature  amid  scenes  that  told  the  story  of  centuries  of 
alternate  peace  and  war. 

These  three  lovers  of  the  wild  left  the  comforts 
of  the  private  train  at  Livingston  and  started  for  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park.  They  arranged  for  their 
luggage  to  go  by  stage  from  station  to  station  in  the 
park,  while  they  secured  saddle  horses  for  their  trip 
and  a  trusty  guide  to  direct  them.  They  resolved 
to  see  as  much  as  possible  in  a  fortnight  of  the  secret 
as  well  as  the  public  beauty  of  the  place,  and  did  not 
wish  to  have  their  meditations  interrupted,  or  their 
conclusions  influenced  by  strangers. 

No  three  spirits  ever  entered  the  portals  of  this 
wonderland  inore  in  hannony  with  each  other,  or  with 

136 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  pulsations  of  the  ages  that  beat  In  rythmic  music 
in  a  hundred  weird  forms  in  this  laboratory  of  nature. 
As  they  wandered  over  hidden  mountain  trails,  as 
they  listened  to  the  sweet  songs  of  the  ousel  that 
splashed  in  the  shallows  of  the  streams,  as  they 
watched  the  variegated  colors  of  the  Prismatic  Spring, 
as  they  looked  out  upon  the  placid  surface  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake,  or  gazed  down  the  thousand  rugged  feet 
of  the  Grand  Caiion,  as  they  listened  to  the  imprisoned 
waters  of  the  seething  geysers  warring  their  way  to 
freedom  with  the  thunders  of  their  own  artillery,  they 
felt  that  the  thoughts  of  each  were  reflected  by  the 
others  without  the  formality  of  words. 

Thus  the  trip  was  unalloyed  joy  to  each  of  them, 
for  they  discovered  anew  that  the  most  inspiring  and 
restful  agency  vouchsafed  to  mankind  is  congenial 
companionship ;  that  we  recognize  kindred  souls  by  a 
glance  of  the  eye,  by  a  clasp  of  the  hand,  by  the  mag- 
netic current  of  propinquity,  and  with  them  the  world 
is  tranquil  and  beautiful  and  eternal.  So  their  fort- 
night passed  as  a  splendid  dream  of  an  hour. 

On  the  last  night  of  their  stay  at  Old  Faithful  Inn, 
Randolph  and  Virginia  wandered  out  in  the  moonlight 
to  take  a  last  look  at  Old  Faithful  Geyser.  A  black 
cloud  hung  over  the  distant  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, but  otherwise  the  night  was  a  glorious  one.     The 

137 


THE     LIBERATORS 

moon  shed  its  lustre  alike  over  the  summit  of  majestic 
heights  and  richly  colored  basins ;  and  far  away  they 
imagined  they  could  see  it  kiss  the  waves  of  the  lake 
and  bid  God-speed  to  the  waters  that  were  collecting 
in  springs  and  rivulets  to  wend  their  way  through 
royal  mountain  gorges,  amidst  forests  of  pine  and  fir, 
past  fields  of  waving  grain,  by  the  side  of  cane-brakes 
and  magnolias,  four  thousand  miles  to  their  home  in 
the  sea. 

They  strolled  down  the  basin  toward  the  famous 
pools,  in  the  wake  of  other  sight-seers,  she  chaffing  him 
gaily  with  being  "The  Melancholy  Dane,"  so  sombre 
was  his  mood, 

"I  thought  I  was  the  only  variable  child  of  April, 
but  it  seems  there  is  another  one,"  she  jestingly  said. 

"What  is  it,  the  moonlight  or  the  mountains,  or  the 
geysers?"  her  manner  becoming  a  trifle  more  serious. 

"Perhaps  it  is  none  of  them,  but  I  am  dreading  the 
hour  of  leaving  them  and  their  associations,"  he  re- 
plied earnestly. 

"Oh,  do  you  really  leave  the  associations  when  we 
quit  the  Park?  I  thought  Gertrude  and  I  had  been 
your  only  companions  here,"  and  her  gay  peal  of 
laughter  drove  every  vestige  of  seriousness  from  his 
face.    Then,  with  a  sudden  change  of  tone,  she  added : 

138 


THE     LIBERATORS 

"But  there  are  many  impressive  lessons  to  be  learned 
here.  The  sight  of  those  gigantic  and  aged  trees  on 
Amethyst  Mountain,  overwhelmed  as  they  were  by  fire 
and  lava,  should  teach  us  that  the  elemental  plan  of 
nature  triumphs  over  the  oldest  and  strongest  objects 
of  nature's  creation  —  even  to  the  impulses  of  the 
human  soul." 

His  heart  beat  fast.  Could  she  possibly  mean?. . .  . 
He  put  the  thought  away  as  an  unwarranted  presump- 
tion, but  as  he  helped  her  across  the  next  rivulet,  he 
was  conscious  that  his  manner  had  in  it  more  protec- 
tion and  tenderness  than  usual  and  that  her  grasp  of 
his  arm  seemed  firmer  and  warmer. 

"You  serious  men,"  she  smiled  up  at  him,  "talk  so 
much  about  duty ;  but  are  there  not  other  things  in  the 
world  worth  while  besides  this  hard  and  impersonal 
duty  ?" 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  answer  her  the  air  was  rent 
with  a  crash  of  thunder,  and  the  threatening  cloud 
which  had  hung  over  the  mountains  when  they  started 
on  their  stroll  now  overspread  all  the  western  sky 
with  its  dark  mantle.  They  had  wandered  nearly  a 
mile  from  their  hotel  and  were  not  far  distant  from 
the  Giantess,  whose  rumblings  began  to  shake  the 
whole  earth.     It  was  forty  days  since  it  had  spurted 

139 


THE    LIBERATORS 

its  boiling',  seething  water  into  space,  and  the  effort 
was  always  preceded  by  a  terrific  subterranean  roar. 

Flash  after  flash  of  lightning  and  peal  after  peal  of 
thunder  came  from  the  skies,  and  from  the  earth  came 
the  reverberating  answer  of  long  pent-up  fury  that 
recognized  a  comrade  in  the  clouds.  It  was  magnifi- 
cent. Old  Faithful  was  sending  forth  its  feathery 
spray  a  hundred  feet  skyward,  and  the  flashes  of 
lightning  gave  it  a  myriad  of  colors ;  while  its  neighbor 
was  threatening  to  break  down  the  walls  of  the  valley 
if  its  freedom  were  not  speedily  granted.  .' 

With  every  terrific  bolt  from  above  and  every  re- 
sponse from  below  the  whole  earth  around  Randolph 
and  Virginia  shook,  and  beneath  their  feet  there 
seemed  nothing  but  a  thin  layer  of  rock  separating 
them  from  the  bottomless  lake  from  which  these  gey- 
sers sprang.  Finally  the  Giantess  leaped  a  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  into  the  air — scattering  its  spray  for 
yards  around. 

Virginia  was  not  naturally  timid,  and  she  had  often 
reveled  in  the  mountain  storms  of  the  Alps ;  but  Ran- 
dolph felt  her  hand  tighten  its  hold  upon  his  arm,  and 
he  saw  that  her  face  was  blanched.  They  hurriedly 
retraced  their  steps,  but  before  they  had  gone  a  quarter 
of  the  distance  to  the  hotel  the  rain  began  to  fall  in 
torrents.     Randolph  hurriedly  took  off  his  coat  and 

140 


THE    LIBERATORS 

literally  forced  her  to  put  it  on,  she  protesting  that 
he  must  not  get  drenched  himself. 

Mrs.  Strong  was  on  the  piazza  to  greet  them,  for 
she  had  become  thoroughly  alarmed  for  their  safety, 
and  it  was  with  joyful  acclaim  that  she  hurried  them 
off  to  their  rooms  for  dry  clothing. 

After  putting  on  other  garments  Randolph  sat  down 
by  his  window  to  watch  the  storm  and  the  geyser. 
But  his  mind  was  soon  oblivious  to  the  warrings  of 
earth  and  heaven,  and  it  would  have  been  difficult 
afterward  for  him  to  have  defined  his  thoughts.  What 
he  experienced  was  more  feeling  than  reflection,  more 
exultation  than  meditation.  He  had  been  thrown  into 
the  companionship  of  these  two  women  a  great  deal 
during  the  past  fifteen  months,  and  he  could  scarcely 
analyze  their  effect  upon  him.  He  had  intense  ad- 
miration for  the  brilliant  mind  and  noble  heart  of  Mrs. 
Strong.  That  she  was  a  potent  factor  in  shaping  his 
destiny,  and  that  she  had  aroused  an  ardent  ambition 
in  his  breast,  he  was  well  aware.  He  prized  her 
friendship  at  the  true  value  of  that  rarest  gift  when 
bestowed  by  a  good  and  intellectual  woman  upon  an 
aspiring  young  man.  She  aroused  in  him  very  deep 
emotions,  but  these  he  thought  he  could  adjust  into  a 
tolerably  well-defined  relation  with  his  life. 

Not  so  with  the  feelings  aroused  by  the  very  pres- 

141 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ence  of  the  other  one.  When  he  first  met  Virginia 
Ames  he  was  allured  by  her  sweetness,  and  treasured 
her  in  his  heart  in  an  idealistic  way,  as  one  treasures 
the  remembrance  of  a  beautiful  wild  flower  on  the 
mountainside,  growing  far  out  of  reach  in  supreme 
sweetness  and  beauty.  But  he  had  never  thought  of 
making  love  to  her.  In  fact,  he  was  inclined  to  be 
reserved  and  taciturn  with  the  Ameses  for  fear  his 
motive  might  be  misunderstood. 

Mrs.  Strong  had  noticed  this  and  guessed  the  rea- 
son, and  she  took  infinite  pains  to  place  him  at  perfect 
ease.  No  other  young  man  of  her  acquaintance 
would  she  have  permitted  to  take  moonlight  walks 
with  a  girl  whom  she  was  chaperoning.  Randolph 
had  been  too  serious  and  too  busy  to  give  much 
thought  to  the  subject  of  love.  Yet  he  had  a  sensitive 
and  poetic  nature  that  readily  responded  to  every 
beautiful  sentiment.  From  his  earliest  recollection 
he  had  adored  pure  womanhood.  His  mother  had 
been  an  idol  to  him  always,  and  he  had  a  sister  eigh- 
teen months  older  than  himself  whom  he  devoutly 
loved.  No  week  passed  that  Randolph  did  not  write 
this  sister  a  letter  telling  her  of  his  ambitions,  his 
triumphs  or  defeats,  his  hopes  for  the  future,  his  re- 
grets for  the  present.  They  had  read  Tennyson's 
"Princess"  together,  and  he  was  fond  of  quoting  to  her: 

142 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Alone,  I  said,  from  earlier  than  I  know. 
Immersed  in  rich  foreshadowings  of  the  world, 
I  loved  the  woman ;  he,  that  doth  not,  lives 
A  drowning  life,  besotted  in  sweet  self, 
Or  pines  in  sad  experience  worse  than  death, 
Or  keeps  his  wing'd  affections  dipt  with  crime." 

He  believed  all  women  pure  and  noble,  and  placed 
them  on  a  pedestal.  If  deceived  in  the  character  of 
any  of  them  he  was  sorrowful  for  the  one,  but  did  not 
alter  his  opinion  of  the  sex.  He  had  read  the  best 
love  stories  of  all  countries,  but  a  few  he  prized  and 
read  over  and  over  again  whenever  he  felt  that  he 
needed  the  inspiration  of  their  fine  depths  to  offset  the 
influence  of  some  cynical  companion.  But  Randolph 
had  never  known  the  greatest  love  of  the  human  heart. 

During  the  trip  through  the  Yellowstone  he  had 
become  better  acquainted  with  his  two  companions, 
and  the  constant  association  brought  out  new  beauties 
in  the  character  of  each  of  them.  He,  in  turn,  was  so 
thoughtful  and  gallant  in  every  little  detail  of  the  trip, 
so  considerate  of  their  comfort,  so  tender,  so  defer- 
ential in  his  attentions,  and  yet  so  strong  and  com- 
manding when  occasion  demanded,  that  they  would 
not  have  been  true  to  the  instincts  of  refined  femininity 
if  he  had  not  won  their  highest  regard. 

143 


THE    LIBERATORS 

As  he  sat  by  his  window  and  watched  the  geyser 
batthng  wuth  the  storm,  strange  feeHngs  coursed 
through  his  soul.  He  had  discovered  that  the  dehcate 
femininity  and  culture  and  grace  of  mind  and  soul 
of  Virginia  Ames  appealed  more  to  his  deeper  nature, 
and  aroused  more  of  the  latent  fires  of  affection,  than 
had  any  woman  he  had  ever  met.  He  felt  certain 
that  she  instinctively  understood  him  better  than  any 
person  of  his  acquaintance,  and  he  was  equally  confi- 
dent that  he  was  at  his  best  when  she  was  near.  But 
was  his  relation  with  these  women  any  more  than  that 
of  camaraderie?  And  whatever  their  influence  over 
him,  should  he  not  resist  every  other  thought  than  that 
of  congenial  companionship?  It  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  approach  either  of  them  as  a  lover  without 
every  one  doubting  his  sincerity.  The  frail  girl  in  the 
storm  that  night  had  exercised  a  mystic  power  over 
him.  Had  she  meant  more  than  idle  persiflage  when 
she  had  asked  him,  "Are  there  not  other  things  in 
the  world  worth  while  besides  this  hard  and  imper- 
sonal duty?"  He  did  not  attach  much  significance  to 
the  words,  but  the  tone  and  the  look  from  those  great 
fathomless  brown  eyes  had  caused  his  heart  to  leap. 
Then  how  confidingly  she  had  clung  to  his  arm  in  the 
storm.  Her  presence  always  thrilled  his  whole  being 
with  indefinable  joy.    Did  she  not  fulfil  Max  Miiller's 

144 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ideal  sweetheart :  "Here  was  a  soul  which  longed  for 
another  soul — here  was  a  greeting  like  that  between 
two  friends  who  recognize  each  other  by  the  glance 
of  the  eye,  nothwithstanding  their  disguises  and  dark 
masks."  And  he  recalled  other  words  of  the  same 
author  : 

"Life  is  not  a  sport.  It  does  not  force  two  souls 
together  like  the  grains  of  sand  in  the  desert,  which 
the  sirocco  whirls  together  and  then  asunder.  We 
should  hold  fast  the  souls  which  friendly  fate  leads  to 
us,  for  they  are  destined  for  us,  and  no  power  can  tear 
them  from  us  if  we  have  the  courage  to  live,  to  strug- 
gle, and  to  die  for  them." 

But  suppose  she  was  fond  of  him,  and  that  he  might 
feel  free  to  win  her  love,  where  would  it  all  end? 
Would  it  not  bring  only  unhappiness  to  both?  He 
had  his  career  to  make,  and  his  views  were  so  widely 
different  from  her  father's  on  all  vital  questions  of 
business  and  government,  that  Mr.  Ames  would  never 
consent  to  her  marrying  him. 

No,  the  great  passion  of  the  human  heart  was  not 
for  him.  He  had  chosen  the  thorny  path  of  high 
duty,  and  he  must  not  be  turned  aside  by  the  first  flutter 
of  the  heart  for  a  woman,  however  sweet  and  charm- 
ing she  might  be.  It  would  be  unpardonable  cruelty 
to  lead  this  girl  into  unhappiness  of  any  kind.     He 

145 


THE    LIBERATORS 

would  be  her  friend  and  comrade  as  long  as  circum- 
stances would  permit — but  beyond  that  he  must  never 

go. 

Thus  the  wild  chase  of  his  thoughts  ran  their  course 
until,  exhausted,  he  threw  himself  on  the  bed  and 
was  soon  oblivious  to  storms  within  and  without. 


146 


Chapter  XV. 

"George,  for  several  months  I  have  had  it  in  mind 
to  propose  a  business  arrangement  which  I  hope  will 
be  sufficiently  complimentary  and  congenial  to  cause 
you  to  accept  it.  As  you  know,  Judge  Dalrymple  has 
been  our  chief  counsel  for  a  number  of  years,  and  he 
has  assistants  in  every  city  where  we  have  business  in- 
terests. I  desire  to  have  Frederic  enter  Judge  Dal- 
rymple's  firm  and  it  is  more  than  agreeable  to  the  Judge 
and  Frederic  to  have  you  the  third  member  of  the  firm. 
Your  share  in  the  income  will  be  the  same  as  Fred- 
eric's, for  I  have  arranged  with  Judge  Dalrymple 
that  he  shall  have  half  the  net  proceeds  of  the  business, 
and  that  you  two  young  men  shall  have  a  quarter  each. 
This  arrangement  should  give  each  of  you  from  forty 
to  fifty  thousand  dollars  a  year  at  the  beginning,  and  I 
am  certain  you  can  easily  make  it  a  hundred  thousand 
within  two  years.  I  very  much  wish  you  to  accept  this 
offer,  as  it  is  needless  to  tell  you  that  I  have  great  re- 
spect for  your  ability  and  confidence  in  your  loyalty." 

Randolph  was  clearly  embarrassed  by  this  proposi- 
tion, for,  although  Frederic  Ames  had  often  told  him 
that  he  wished  to  have  him  as  a  law  partner,  still  no 
formal  proposal  had  been  made,  and,  coming  in  this 


THE    LIBERATORS 

sudden  and  complimentary  manner  from  a  man  like 
the  elder  Ames,  it  overwhelmed  him. 

The  offer,  from  a  monetary  standpoint,  was  most 
alluring.  Randolph  had  decided  some  time  before  to 
practice  law  in  New  York  City,  and  such  an  oppor- 
tunity to  enter  a  leading  law  firm  was  one  that  would 
be  eagerly  grasped  by  any  young  and  ambitious 
lawyer. 

Judge  Dalrymple  had  been  the  general  counsel  for 
all  the  Ames  interests  for  twenty-five  years.  He  was 
a  very  able  jurist,  and  a  thorough  believer  in  the 
sacred  rights  of  corporate  franchises  and  corporate 
property,  and  sincerely  enough  believed  that  all  per- 
sons who  assailed  the  encroachments  of  private  cor- 
porations on  individual  liberty  and  personal  rights 
were  enemies  to  the  best  interests  of  the  government. 
He  had  been  Supreme  Court  Judge  in  one  of  the  large 
trans-Mississippi  States,  but  the  uniformity  of  his  de- 
cisions against  the  rights  of  the  individual  and  the  State 
had  encompassed  his  defeat.  The  father  of  Charles 
Henry  Ames  had  rewarded  him  by  bringing  him  to 
New  York  City  and  making  him  general  counsel  for 
the  Ames  interests. 

During  the  years  he  had  represented  the  Ameses 
he  had  steadily  refused  to  take  any  partners,  although 
he  employed  a  score  of  able  legal  assistants  at  large 

148 


THE    LIBERATORS 

salaries.  At  the  time  Mr.  Ames  proposed  that  he  take 
Frederic  Ames  into  his  firm,  Judge  Dalrymple  wel- 
comed the  suggestion,  for,  he  said,  he  was  growing 
old,  and  it  was  "time  to  break  in  new  colts  to  do  the 
work,"  and,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  elder  Ames, 
Judge  Dalrymple  himself  advanced  the  idea  of  making 
a  firm  of  three  members  instead  of  two. 

Mr.  Ames  had  found  no  opportunity  of  talking  the 
matter  over  with  Randolph  until  the  party  arrived  at 
Colorado  Springs,  on  its  return  trip.  He  broached 
it  as  they  sat  in  the  sun-room  of  the  Antlers  Hotel 
smoking  their  morning  cigars. 

Early  in  life  Randolph  had  learned  never  to  deceive 
himself,  and  being  true  in  this  most  difficult  respect, 
he  found  it  easy  to  be  true  to  others.  In  the  conflict- 
ing emotions  of  ambition,  duty  to  the  dead,  justice  to 
the  living,  and  gratitude  to  this  family  which  had  done 
so  much  for  him,  Randolph  lost  his  poise  for  a  moment 
and  made  no  reply;  but  it  was  only  for  a  moment, 
then  his  strong  love  of  truth  and  frankness  asserted 
itself,  and  in  the  simplest  manner  possible  he  related  to 
Mr.  Ames  the  injunction  of  his  father  and  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  it.     Then  he  added: 

"You  overwhelm  me  with  generosity,  and  I  want 
you  to  know  over  and  above  everything  else  that  I 
am  sincerely  and  deeply  grateful.     Already  I  am  in- 

149 


THE    LIBERATORS 

debtee!  to  you  and  your  family  more  than  I  can  ever 
repay,  but  if  an  appreciative  heart  and  an  unwavering 
friendship  are  worth  anything,  they  are  yours.  Still, 
I  don't  see  how  I  can  accept  this  generous  oflfer  and 
be  true  to  my  father's  behest.  I  may  be  greatly  in 
error  in  judgment  and  in  ethics,  but  if  I  accept  your 
proposal  and  become  a  member  of  this  law  firm  I 
must  close  forever  every  door  that  leads  to  a  public 
career.  Other  people  may  be  able  to  serve  two  mas- 
ters, but  I  cannot.  If  you  pay  me  for  my  services 
they  are  yours  exclusively,  but  I  cannot  pretend  to 
serve  other  people,  and  least  of  all  the  government  of 
the  city,  state  or  nation,  while  I  am  drawing  my  pay 
from  you." 

"I  fear  you  do  not  understand  conditions,"  repHed 
Mr.  Ames.  "The  offer  I  make  to  you  opens  up  every 
kind  of  a  public  career  that  you  may  seek.  Nothing 
would  please  me  better  than  to  see  you  governor  or 
United  States  senator.  You  cannot  get  either  of  these 
offices  without  money,  and  I  am  giving  you  an  oppor- 
tunity to  make  large  sums  of  money,  for,  of  course, 
if  you  possess  the  legal  secrets  of  our  business  it  is 
easy  for  you  to  make  millions  on  Wall  Street.  Look 
at  Judge  Dalrymple.  When  he  came  to  us  he  was  a 
poor  man,  and  to-day  he  is  worth  at  least  ten  millions. 
Nonsense,  my  boy!     If  you  wish  a  public  career,  I  am 

150 


THE    LIBERATORS 

offering  you  the  only  channel  there  is  open  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  You  cannot  get  any  high  office  without  the 
backing  of  our  interests,  or  other  similar  large  cor- 
porate enterprises,  and  any  other  theory  is  an  idle 
dream.  Conditions  have  changed  since  your  father 
died.  If  he  were  alive  now  he  would  urge  you  to 
accept  this  offer.  Don't  allow  any  impracticable  and 
altruistic  doctrines  to  influence  your  good,  sound  judg- 
ment in  this  matter." 

"You  do  not  understand  me,"  said  Randolph.  "I 
am  not  altogether  certain,  under  present  conditions, 
that  I  personally  would  not  prefer  to  give  my  life 
wholly  to  the  practice  of  law ;  and,  if  I  should  do  so, 
there  is  no  reason  why  your  business  should  be  any 
different  to  me  than  that  of  any  other  client,  and  no 
reason  why  I  should  not  represent  you  during  the 
whole  of  my  legal  career.  But  I  am  under  a  solemn 
injunction  to  enter  public  life,  along  certain  lines,  and 
to  champion  the  cause  of  the  people  and  to  uphold  the 
tenets  of  the  Republic. 

"If  I  follow  my  father's  injunction  to  enter  public 
life  I  cannot  honorably  do  so  while  I  am  accepting  my 
pay  from  you,  neither  could  I  ever  do  so  if  I  accepted 
retainers  from  you  for  a  number  of  years,  for  your 
interests  are  in  direct  conflict  with  my  ideas  of  public 
duty  and  the  public  good.    I  can  imagine  no  more  dis- 

151 


THE    LIBERATORS 

honorable  or  detestable  transactions  than  a  lawyer  hold- 
ing a  legislative,  judicial  or  executive  office,  and  ac- 
cepting pay  from  the  government  on  one  hand  and 
pay  from  large  private  interests  that  thrive  through 
government  favor  on  the  other  hand.  I  know  that 
a  great  many  so-called  honorable  lawyers  do  it,  but 
the  time  is  rapidly  coming  when  such  lawyers  will  be 
disbarred  and  dishonored,  just  as  they  are  now  for 
undertaking  to  sell  out  the  interests  of  a  private  client 
to  the  opposition. 

"I  know  there  are  many  lawyers  serving  in  both 
houses  of  Congress  who  are  drawing  from  three  to  five 
times  as  much  from  great  railroad  companies  as  they 
get  from  the  government,  yet  these  lawyers,  without 
a  blush  of  shame,  arrange  mail  contracts  between  the 
government  and  their  private  clients,  and  they  pass 
upon  a  hundred  matters  where  the  interests  of  the 
government  are  diametrically  opposed  to  the  interests 
of  the  corporations  which  they  are  paid  to  represent. 
Neither  can  I  understand  the  code  of  ethics  of  law- 
yers who  take  large  retainers  for  a  number  of  years 
from  private  concerns  that  grow  fat  upon  public  favor, 
and  then  accept  public  office,  where  every  demand  of 
the  public  service  requires  them  to  be  arrayed  against 
the  clients  that  made  them  rich." 

Randolph  had  grown  eloquent  in  his  earnestness, 

152 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  he  was  so  completely  absorbed  that  he  did  not  see 
the  entrance  of  Virginia  in  her  riding-  habit,  but  he 
observed  that  his  rather  strenuous  words  were  irri- 
tating Mr.  Ames,  and  this  he  did  not  wish  to  do.  So, 
changing  his  tone,  he  added  : 

"I  shall  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  you  will  let  me 
consider  this  matter  for  a  few  days  in  all  its  bearings. 
Perhaps  I  am  not  just  in  my  views.  Let  me  think  it 
over." 

This  relieved  the  tension,  and  the  request  was 
readily  granted. 

Throughout  the  conversation  Frederic  Ames  had 
been  a  silent  listener.  He  knew  Randolph's  views  bet- 
ter than  his  father  did,  and  he  was  not  surprised  at 
the  outburst  from  the  young  man. 

But  none  of  them  was  given  opportunity  for  private 
meditation,  for  Virginia  interrupted: 

"Come,  George,  our  horses  have  been  waiting  ever 
so  long,  and  Mrs.  Strong  has  gone  with  Margaret  and 
Edwin  to  North  Cheyenne  Canon.  We  are  to  meet 
them  at  Broadmoor  for  luncheon.  It's  a  glorious 
morning,  and  here  you  men  are  cooped  up  in  this 
smoky  room,  talking  dreary  business.  We  will  let 
Frederic  visit  the  sepulchre  of  the  pyramids,  with  his 
funereal-looking  face,  while  we  bathe  ourselves  in 
sunshine  and   scenery.     What   is   it,   Frederic,   dear, 

153 


THE    LIBERATORS 

what  makes  you  look  so  unhappy?"  'And  she  threw 
her  arms  around  her  brother's  neck  and  gave  him  a 
kiss  of  genuine  affection. 

"You  Httle  sylph,  you  would  drive  the  blues  away 
from  a  bear !  Go  with  her,  George,  for  she  is  dying 
for  a  gallop  over  the  mountain  roads.  I  pity  you  if 
you  attempt  to  give  her  a  free  rein  to-day.  Good-by, 
and  good  luck  to  you." 

She  passed  over  to  her  father's  chair,  and  with 
more  deference  and  dignity  than  she  had  shown  to 
her  brother,  kissed  him  affectionately,  saying,  sotto 
voce:  "Of  course  he  will  join  Frederic.  You  must 
give  him  all  the  time  he  wants." 


154 


Chapter  XVI. 

"Where  do  you  take  me  to-day?"  asked  Randolph, 
after  they  were  mounted. 

"To-day  we  go  to  Cheyenne  Mountain,  and  if  you 
are  very  good  I  will  tell  you  the  legend  of  the  seven 
falls.  It  is  an  Aztec  tale  which  greatly  influenced 
all  subsequent  love  affairs  of  that  race." 

"I  am  quite  sure  I  shall  make  a  huge  effort  to  at- 
tain your  standard  of  goodness,"  he  smiled  back  at 
her. 

"Oh,  George,  do  look !  Isn't  that  magnificent !" 
They  were  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  that  overlooks 
Ivy  Wild,  with  its  artistic  cottages  and  gorgeous 
flower  beds  and  perfectly  kept  lawns.  Before  them 
lay  a  landscape  of  mountain  grandeur  and  inspiration 
that  cannot  be  equaled  the  wide  world  over.  At  one 
end  of  the  view  arose  in  majestic  splendor,  against 
a  fleckless  blue  background,  the  "Grand  Peak"  of 
the  Rockies,  its  summit  covered  with  a  vast  field  of 
snow  that  glistened  and  gleamed  in  the  bright  sunlight. 
To  the  extreme  left  was  noble  Cheyenne  Mountain, 
which  rises  from  the  plains  in  stately  splendor  without 
any  foothills  to  mar  its  dignity  or  to  suggest  that  sev- 
eral efTorts  had  been  required  ere  it  succeeded  in  plac- 

155 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ing  its  placid  brow  in  the  skies.  Between  the  two 
could  be  seen  only  the  peaks  of  the  smaller  mountains 
that  made  a  setting  for  the  main  picture. 

As  they  gazed  upon  the  rugged,  overpowering, 
nerve-straining  and  self-assertive  outlines  of  Pike's 
Peak,  and  then  turned  to  the  chaste  and  graceful  con- 
tour of  Cheyenne  Mountain,  with  its  quiet  dignity,  its 
restful  summit,  its  soothing  and  dreamy  influence, 
they  realized  how  the  one  inspired  the  ambition  of  a 
soldier  and  the  other  suggested  a  burial  place  to  a  poet. 

They  passed  rapidly  through  Ivy  Wild  and  then 
went  to  the  higher  road  by  Broadmoor,  to  get  a  bet- 
ter view  of  the  city  and  plain.  Just  as  they  turned 
into  the  main  road  leading  to  the  picturesque  sum- 
mer houses  a  woman  began  to  sing. 

"Oh,  how  sad  she  must  be !"  exclaimed  Virginia. 
"No  person  sings  that  who  has  not  known  real  sor- 
row." 

"That?  Why  it  seems  filled  with  joy  and  sunshine. 
However  could  you  think  the  woman  is  sad?"  replied 
Randolph. 

"Listen!  Walk  your  horse.  Oh,  how  sad,  how 
sad !" 

By  this  time  the  woman  had  begun  the  second  part 
of  the  song,  and  her  deep,  rich,  melodious  voice  was 
now  Hke  the  wail  of  a  lost  soul.     The  light  had  gone 

156 


THE    LIBERATORS 

out  of  the  world.  There  was  nothing  but  the  bleak 
winter  of  despair,  and  no  hope  of  sunshine  again. 
Devastation,  ruin,  death  had  taken  possession  of  the 
earth. 

Randolph  had  never  heard  such  a  human  wail  be- 
fore, nor  imagined  that  so  much  sorrow  could  be  ex- 
pressed by  the  human  voice.  When  he  looked  at  his 
companion  her  great  eyes  were  suffused  with  tears, 
and  her  sensitive  face  expressed  deep  pain. 

"Come,  let  us  gallop,"  she  said,  and  soon  they  were 
skirting  Stratton  Park  and  had  reached  the  foot  of 
Cheyenne  Mountain.  Randolph  was  curious  to  know 
what  the  song  was  which  they  had  just  heard,  but 
nature  once  more  claimed  the  attention  of  his  compan- 
ion, and  he  did  not  want  to  recall  her  look  of  sadness. 

They  were  going  through  mazes  of  wild  flowers — 
stately  pentstemons  of  various  hues,  yellow  and  purple 
columbines,  interspersed  with  belated  wide-eyed  ane- 
mones. 

They  soon  entered  the  mouth  of  South  Cheyenne 
Caiion,  along  a  foaming  stream  of  crystal  water  and 
between  granite  walls  rising  hundreds  of  feet  on  either 
side  in  strength  and  grandeur,  and  to  which  such  ap- 
propriate names  as  "Eagle  Cliff"  and  "Pillars  of  Her- 
cules" had  been  given. 

The  stream  was  bordered  with  small  trees  and  was 

157 


THE    LIBERATORS 

mossy  and  bosky  along  both  sides.  They  rode  with- 
out speaking,  charmed  with  the  scenery  and  enjoying 
the  cool,  bracing  mountain  air.  In  a  few  moments 
they  were  at  the  first  of  the  seven  falls,  where  the 
cafion  ended  in  a  colossal  amphitheatre,  down  one 
side  of  which  plunged  the  foaming  torrent  in  seven  dis- 
tinct leaps  from  a  perpendicular  height  of  over  two 
hundred  feet,  forming  a  large  pool  at  the  foot  of  the 
last  fall. 

They  dismounted,  gave  their  "horses  water  from  the 
brook,  tied  them  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  climbed 
the  steps  to  the  top  of  the  falls,  and  went  on  to  the 
fields  of  blue,  white  and  yellow  columbines,  tiger  lilies, 
buttercups  and  daisies.  Here  they  rested  for  awhile, 
and  then  retraced  their  steps.  At  the  foot  of  the  stair- 
way Virginia  led  him  to  a  seat  on  a  large  pine  log. 

"You  know  I  came  out  here  yesterday  morning  with 
Gertrude,  while  you  were  busy  with  Frederic.  Then 
I  spent  the  afternoon  in  the  public  library  reading 
an  old  book,  a  copy  of  which  I  once  saw  in  New  York. 
So  few  Americans  know  the  beauty  of  this  spot,  and 
I  think  it  the  most  charming  on  the  continent.  I  am 
sure  that  few  persons  know  the  legend  connected  with 
it,  or  many  would  make  pilgrimages  here,  as  well  as 
to  see  the  place  nearby  which  Helen  Hunt  Jackson 

158 


THE    LIBERATORS 

chose  for  her  grave.  Gertrude  and  I  went  there  yes- 
terday also. 

"But  the  legend: 

"Many,  many  years  ago,  before  the  feet  of 
white  men  ever  trod  this  region,  and  long  be- 
fore the  North  American  Indians  haunted  these  moun- 
tains, these  dells  and  glens  were  inhabited  by  a 
swarthy  race  of  people  of  high  intelligence  and  poetic 
nature.  They  had  dwelt  here  for  hundreds  of  years. 
Among  them  were  poets  and  artists  and  orators,  and 
surely  they  found  inspiration  enough  in  the  surround- 
ings. They  were  not  warlike,  and  had  no  quarrels 
with  each  other. 

"As  time,  with  its  merciless  march  of  events,  and 
civilization,  with  its  cruel  conquests  and  bloody  wars, 
drove  the  wild  men  of  the  plains  back  to  the  mountains, 
these  kindly  people  were  compelled  to  defend  them- 
selves; but  not  until  that  time  had  human  blood  ever 
stained  their  hands. 

"Just  before  the  first  incursion  of  savages  into  this 
region,  a  young  poet  of  great  distinction  in  his  tribe 
sought  in  marriage  the  hand  of  a  beautiful  girl  of  the 
same  tribe.  He  was  tall,  dignified,  strong,  handsome, 
and,  withal,  as  tender  as  a  child.  She  was  beautiful 
of  form,  gracious  of  manner  and  loyal  of  heart.  They 
had  been  children  together,   and  together  they  had 

159 


THE    LIBERATORS 

wandered  over  every  foot  of  these  mountains  for  miles 
around,  he  gathering  inspiration  for  his  compositions, 
she  sketching  every  beautiful  flower.  Their  love  had 
begun  at  the  dawn  of  life,  and  it  had  the  freshness 
and  fragrance  and  devotion  that  belong  to  that  period. 
Like  Paul  and  Virginia,  their  lives  were  united  from 
the  beginning,  and  it  would  not  have  been  life  for 
either  without  the  other.  The  poet's  best  work  was 
inspired  by  her  and  dedicated  to  her. 

"These  people  believed  in  the  sacredness  of  love 
and  the  institution  of  marriage.  The  father  of  the  girl 
had  hoped  that  she  would  accept  the  offer  of  the 
chief's  son  of  a  neighboring  tribe;  but  she  firmly  in- 
sisted that  she  could  not  give  her  heart  to  him,  and  it 
would  be  sacrilege  to  marry  him. 

"The  patience  and  courage  and  devotion  of  the  poet 
triumphed,  as  patience  and  courage  and  devotion  gen- 
erally do  in  affairs  of  the  heart.  The  marriage  cere- 
mony of  the  poet  and  his  bride  was  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  in  this  amphitheatre,  at  the  foot  of  yonder 
fall.  At  that  time  there  was  but  one  great  fall  here, 
instead  of  seven,  and  it  came  from  a  much  greater 
height  than  the  top  one  now  does.  This  fall  was  con- 
sidered sacred  by  the  natives.  If  any  one  had  sinned, 
these  waters  would  cleanse  him ;  if  any  were  ill,  these 
waters    would    cure    him ;    if   any   were    weak,    these 

i6o 


THE    LIBERATORS 

waters  would  make  him  strong.  They  were  the  bap- 
tismal waters  of  the  tribe,  the  holy  waters  of  the  race, 
and  a  marriage  celebrated  under  their  influence  could 
not  fail  to  be  happy. 

"As  the  priest  led  the  poet  and  the  maiden  under  the 
waters  of  the  fall,  the  sun,  which  had  been  hiding 
under  a  cloud,  suddenly  burst  forth  in  gorgeous  splen- 
dor and  cast  a  radiant  glory  over  the  whole  assemblage. 
From  a  crevice  in  the  rock  just  behind  the  spray  of 
the  fall,  you  can  see  it  now,  a  beautiful  white  bird  with 
a  red  tuft  on  its  head  came  forth  from  an  unknown 
nest,  and,  lighting  on  the  shoulder  of  the  bride, 
carolled  a  song  of  spring. 

"That  night  the  wild  men  of  the  plains  attacked 
this  peaceable  tribe.  Though  little  accustomed  to 
warfare,  the  men  of  the  tribe  were  not  lacking  in 
valor,  and  they  made  such  a  gallant  defense  that  their 
foe  was  repulsed  and  driven  from  the  mountains.  In 
the  front  ranks  of  the  defenders  was  the  poet,  and 
when  morning  came  he  was  found  wounded  and 
bleeding. 

"It  was  necessary  to  get  the  women,  children,  sick 
and  wounded  to  a  place  of  safety,  as  it  appeared  cer- 
tain that  the  attack  would  be  renewed;  so  they  were 
taken  to  the  very  top  of  the  fall — much  higher  than 
the    meadows    where    we    were    to-day.     There    they 

i6i 


THE    LIBERATORS 

were  considered  safe  from  harm,  as  the  path  to  their 
retreat  was  well-nigh  inaccessible  even  to  those  that 
knew  the  way. 

"The  next  night  the  enemy  returned  to  the  charge, 
and  being  reinforced  overwhelmed  the  gallant  band  of 
natives,  then  with  a  yell  of  delight  they  began  to  as- 
cend the  mountain.  They  had  put  to  death  the  de- 
fenders below  and  their  thirst  for  blood  had  been 
fully  aroused,  when  they  discovered  the  trail  which 
led  to  the  retreat  of  the  women,  children  and  sick. 
As  the  savage  yells  of  the  victorious  horde  rent  the 
air,  the  poet  painfully  arose  to  his  feet,  weak  though  he 
was,  and  clasped  his  bride  in  his  arms. 

"  'I  cannot  have  you  murdered,*  he  said.  'What 
shall  we  do?' 

"  'The  fall,'  she  cried,  'the  fall !  It  has  blessed  our 
life  for  twenty  summers,  its  sacred  waters  blessed  our 
marriage.     Let  us  die  there— quick,  let  us  die  there!' 

"Clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  they  threw  them- 
selves into  the  seething  torrent,  which  carried  them 
within  its  gurgling  folds  as  though  they  were  nymphs 
of  the  stream. 

"But,  marvelous  to  relate,  and  striking  awe  to  the 
spectators  of  this  weird  scene  as  they  looked  on  by 
the  light  of  the  full  moon,  after  the  poet  and  his  bride 
had  gone  a  short  distance,  the  rushing  torrent  had  no 

162 


THE    LIBERATORS 

control  of  them,  and,  with  beaming  countenances,  they 
rested  on  the  top  of  the  water.  To  the  amazement  of 
these  two,  instead  of  pain  and  death,  visions  of  early 
childhood  filled  their  souls,  and  the  waters  seemed 
to  pause  in  their  mad  rush  to  let  them  contemplate 
those  fantasies.  Then  on  again,  and  another  stop  filled 
their  minds  with  pictures  of  the  scenes  when  they  roved 
these  mountains  as  boy  and  girl.  The  torrent  carried 
them  on,  then  resting  once  more  on  the  billows  they 
saw  themselves  when  love  first  filled  their  hearts.  The 
waters  beat  them  on  again,  and  at  the  next  resting  place 
was  re-enacted  their  wedding  ceremony.  On  again  in 
the  flood,  and  the  vision  was  of  years  of  married  bliss. 
The  next  pause  presented  their  declining  years ;  and,  as 
they  gently  glided  into  the  basin  at  the  bottom  of  the 
fall,  they  saw  themselves  old  and  decrepit,  but  walking 
hand  in  hand,  the  love  of  one  another  still  strong  in 
their  souls. 

"When  they  reached  the  pool  the  poet  sprang  to 
the  bank,  cured  of  his  wounds  and  as  strong  as  ever, 
and  lifting  his  bride  he  carried  her  to  a  secret  cavern 
which  none  could  discover. 

"The  savages  beheld  this  sight  with  awe  and  fear. 
They  thought  they  had  violated  the  sanctity  of  some 
primeval  god  and  goddess;  and  after  falling  on  their 
faces,  they  arose  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

163 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Never  again  was  this  region  visited  by  the  wild 
men  of  the  plains,  so  long  as  the  tribe  of  the  poet 
inhabited  the  place.  It  was  told  far  and  wide,  among 
all  tribes  of  wild  men,  that  sacred  beings  inhabited  this 
canon  and  that  destruction  awaited  those  who  might 
enter.  It  was  many  years  after  the  great  migration  to 
the  South  of  the  tribe  of  the  poet  that  a  red  man  dared 
to  set  foot  within  these  mountain  gorges,  and  then  it 
was  always  with  reverence. 

"From  one  great  fall,  forever  after  this  voyage  of 
the  poet  and  his  bride,  there  have  been  seven  falls; 
and  at  each  place  where  they  paused  in  their  wild  de- 
scent, the  rocks  so  formed  themselves  that  the  water 
was  checked  and  held  a  while  before  it  was  allowed 
to  go  on  its  rushing  course. 

"In  honor  of  this  voyage,  and  to  commemorate  the 
story  of  the  visions  vouchsafed  to  them,  the  poet 
named  the  seven  falls :  The  highest  fall  was  called 
'Infancy;'  the  second,  'Childhood;'  the  third,  'Youth;' 
the  fourth,  'Romance;'  the  fifth,  'Bridal  Veil;'  the 
sixth,  'Love  Fulfilled ;'  the  seventh,  'Old  Age.' " 

During  the  recital  Virginia's  wonderful  eyes  re- 
flected every  passing  shade  of  feeling.  When  the 
story  was  ended  they  were  both  silent  for  a  little  time, 
gazing  meditatively  at  the  falling  water  that  sparkled 

164 


THE    LIBERATORS 

in  the  sunlight.     Then  Randolph  turned  his  eyes  to 
the  girl's  face. 

"Is  it  true,  I  wonder,  that  the  stars  in  their  courses 
fight  for  the  final  happiness  of  those  who  truly  love 
one  another  ?" 

Under  his  reverent  gaze  the  soft  color  deepened  in 
her  cheeks;  she  looked  at  him,  then  quickly  turned 
her  eyes  away  again  to  the  sunlit  water. 

"All  the  old  stories  say  so."  Her  voice  was  low, 
and  trembled  ever  so  little. 

Then,  as  if  afraid  of  the  emotion  that  shook  her 
sensitive  soul,  she  suddenly  sprang  to  her  feet. 

"Let  us  go  over  to  the  pool,  George,  and  see  if  the 
bird's  nest  is  still  there.  It  is  related  that  those  beau- 
tiful white  birds  were  in  this  region  up  to  the  time 
of  Pike's  expedition,  and  that  he  captured  two  of 
them;  but  since  that  time  they  have  entirely  disap- 
peared. However,  a  bird's  nest  has  always  remained 
in  the  crevice  of  the  rock  from  whence  the  white  bird 
flew  on  that  ancient  wedding  day." 

As  they  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  pool  a  small  gray 
and  speckled  bird  flew  from  the  crevice  of  the  rock, 
just  beyond  the  spray  of  the  last  fall,  and  dived  into 
the  water  of  the  basin.  Again  and  again  he  plunged 
into  the  crystal  stream,  and  then,  perching  himself  on  a 

165 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ledge  of  rock,  he  sang  a  few  tender  notes  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  crevice  again. 

"Where  did  you  find  this  interesting  story?"  asked 
Randolph. 

"That  is  my  secret.  If  you  were  not  so  practical 
you  would  occasionally  read  the  romances  of  the 
Aborigines  and  discover  that  there  are  many  beautiful 
things  in  the  old  Aztec  manuscripts;  but  you  prefer 
to  sacrifice  ideals  to  the  real,  even  if  it  makes  you  look 
as  if  you  were  following  the  hearse  of  your  last  friend, 
as  you  and  Father  and  Frederic  looked  this  morning." 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  then,  looking  him  full  in  the 
eyes,  she  said: 

"You  will  accept  my  father's  offer,  will  you  not?" 

Her  voice  and  eyes  were  full  of  earnestness.  The 
unexpectedness  of  the  question  disconcerted  Randolph. 
He  colored  deeply  and  hesitated  for  words  to  make 
reply.  He  wondered  how  much  of  their  conversation 
she  had  heard  and  how  much  she  had  guessed. 

Seeing  that  he  was  embarrassed,  and  thinking  that 
she  might  have  been  indelicate  in  mentioning  the  sub- 
ject, she  hastened  to  add: 

"I  do  not  wish  to  be  intrusive,  or  to  influence  your 
affairs ;  but  my  father  has  a  very  high  opinion  of  you, 
and  I  hope  you  will  ally  yourself  with  him,  for  you 
can  do  so  much  for  one  another." 

i66 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"What  would  you  have  me  do?"  he  asked.  "Live 
up  to  my  highest  ideals,  or  subordinate  them  to  mere 
money  getting?  Give  my  life  to  the  service  of  mer- 
cenary greed — to  the  defense  of  aggressions  and 
oppressions  that  should  be  denounced — or  carve  out 
a  career  for  myself,  along  lines  that  my  own  heart 
and  conscience  approve  and  that  appeal  to  every 
impulse  of  my  being?" 

The  answer  came  promptly  and  from  the  depths  of 
her  soul. 

"You  will  always  be  true  to  your  highest  impulses. 
Nobody  can  swerve  you  from  them,  and  surely  I 
would  not  attempt  to  do  so.  But  are  you  not  mis- 
taken as  to  the  field  in  which  you  can  be  most  useful  ? 
Both  my  father  and  Frederic  think  so.  Of  course  I 
know  nothing  of  such  things,  but  please  do  not  get  too 
far  away  from  us." 

The  words  of  the  girl  made  Randolph  realize  what 
a  vast  gulf  really  lay  between  the  Ames  family  and 
himself,  if  he  persisted  in  living  his  life  according  to 
the  standards  he  had  set  up. 

"I  hope  I  shall  never  get  very  far  away  from  any 
of  you,  but  I  am  at  a  loss  to  decide.  Let  me  tell  you 
the  strange  combat  between  conflicting  ambitions  and 
inharmonious  viewpoints  of  duty." 

He  led  her  back  to  their  former  seat  upon  the  log, 

167 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  in  the  briefest  possible  manner  and  without  reser- 
vation told  her  of  his  ambitions,  his  hopes,  and  his 
past  life.  He  had  the  feeling  that  every  thought  and 
sentiment  was  understood  and  appreciated. 

"What  am  I  to  do  ?"  he  asked,  when  he  had  finished. 

"You  must  follow  your  father's  behest,"  she  replied. 
"But  that  should  not  lead  you  away  from  us.  Whether 
it  does  or  not,  your  course  is  plain.  You  must  follow 
his  directions  to  you  as  they  appeal  to  your  own  high 
sense  of  duty.  Anything  else  would  be  sacrilege.  But 
haven't  times  so  changed  that  you  can  do  as  my  father 
wishes?  Do  so,  if  you  can.  Don't  get  too  far  away 
from  us." 

They  waited  in  silence  for  awhile,  listening  to  the 
music  of  the  falls,  and  feeling  for  the  first  time  in 
their  hearts  the  strong  pulsations  of  that  reality  of 
life  which  was  so  deeply  to  influence  their  future.  Then, 
with  a  little  sigh,  she  broke  the  spell: 

"Come,"  she  said,  "we  must  go.  It  is  very  late,  and 
they  will  be  waiting  for  us." 


i68 


Chapter  XVII. 

That  night  the  entire  Ames  party  and  five  strangers 
were  gathered  in  the  large  drawing-room  of  the 
Antlers.  Three  of  these  strangers  were  from  Ceylon, 
one  from  Egypt  and  the  other  one  from  Canada.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ames  had  met  them  severally  during  the 
course  of  the  day,  and  finding  them  interesting,  had 
invited  them  to  join  their  party  in  the  drawing-room 
after  dinner. 

The  Cingalese  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pieras  and  the 
brother  of  Mrs.  Pieras,  Mr.  Obesequia.  They  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  aristocratic 
families  of  the  Island,  and  the  young  men  were  both 
graduates  of  Cambridge,  while  Mrs.  Pieras  had  been 
carefully  educated  by  private  tutors  and  was  highly 
accomplished  in  music  and  art.  They  were  the  most 
perfect  bronze  in  color,  with  classic  features,  and 
dignified  and  distinguished  in  carriage.  Mrs.  Pieras 
would  have  formed  an  excellent  model  for  a  painter, 
with  her  clear  bronze  complexion,  her  regular  features 
and  jet-black  hair,  parted  in  the  middle  of  her  fore- 
head.   She  was  gowned  in  the  purest  white. 

Mr.  Obesequia  had  fitted  himself  for  a  public  career 
in  his  native  land,  and,  what  was  more  to  the  purpose, 

169 


THE    LIBERATORS 

he  had  the  certainty  of  a  distinguished  one,  if  he  had 
the  ability  for  it,  without  being  compelled  to  overcome 
the  numerous  obstacles  which  at  that  time  obstructed 
the  path  of  ambitious  and  honorable  young  men 
in  the  Great  Republic. 

Abdel  Hamid  Abaza,  the  Egyptian,  was  a  man  of 
about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  the  son  of  one  of  the 
native  nobility,  a  Bey  on  his  own  account,  whose  father 
owned  large  tracts  of  land,  and  who  had  come  to  the 
^United  States  to  study  its  system  of  irrigating  the  soil. 
He  had  been  well  educated  in  native  schools  and  in 
Paris,  and  he  spoke  half  a  dozen  languages  with  great 
fluency. 

The  fifth  stranger  was  Mr.  Austen  Woodburn,  a 
noted  Canadian  mining  engineer. 

After  the  formality  of  introductions,  the  entire  party 
fell  into  a  discussion  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region, 
and  each  told  of  experiences  that  threw  interesting 
side-lights  upon  it. 

The  Cingalese  had  had  a  ludicrous  experience  that 
day,  and  one  which  they  told  with  considerable  zest. 
They  had  gone  to  a  gold  camp  nearby  with  Mr.  Wood- 
burn  to  inspect  the  practical  working  of  the  mines,  and 
at  the  noon  hour  went  to  a  restaurant  for  refreshments. 
They  were  refused  service,  and  when  the  proprietor 
was  asked  the  reason,  he  said,  "Negroes  are  not  served 

170 


THE    LIBERATORS 

here."  They  encountered  the  same  treatment  in  two  or 
three  other  restaurants,  and  finally  concluded  to  go 
without  luncheon,  as  Obesequia  said,  "Rather  than  of- 
fer explanations  in  a  country  that  twoscore  years  before 
had  sacrificed  a  million  men  and  three  billions  of  dollars 
to  have  the  negroes  declared  free  and  equal  citizens." 

"It  was  rather  humiliating,"  Obesequia  added,  after 
a  moment's  thoughtfulness.  "I  remember  having 
heard  my  grandmother  tell  how  she  had  refused  to  sit 
at  dinner  with  the  Princess,  afterward  Queen  Victoria, 
on  her  visit  to  Ceylon,  because  my  grandmother's  aris- 
tocracy was  so  much  older  and  better  than  was  that  of 
the  Princess.  A  ludicrous  thing  happened  to  us  in 
another  section  of  the  United  States .  We  were  attend- 
ing a  reception  at  the  house  of  a  leading  citizen,  when 
a  guest,  having  finished  his  refreshments,  turned  with 
his  empty  plate  to  me,  and  commandingly  said :  'Here 
take  this !'  I  was  just  on  the  point  of  doing  so,  to  see 
what  would  come  of  the  incident,  when  a  lady  who 
knew  me  rushed  up  and  whispered  in  the  man's  ear. 
He  tried  to  be  most  profuse  in  his  apologies,  but  I 
walked  away  with  the  thought  that  even  a  servant  was 
entitled  to  a  little  more  civility  than  this  gentleman 
had  shown." 

It  formed  a  strange  and  interesting  sight  to  Ran- 
dolph to  see  these  people  from  vastlv  different  parts 

171 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  the  world,  of  widely  different  race,  religion  and 
political  conviction,  each  independent  in  his  personal 
and  civil  powers,  yet,  practically,  all  subjects  of  the 
same  monarchal  government.  He  reflected  that  per- 
haps the  American  Revolution,  after  all,  did  more  to 
free  Englishmen  and  English  subjects  than  it  did  to 
free  Americans ;  for  while  the  Americans  had  gone 
gradually  from  one  form  of  thraldom  into  another, 
England's  experience  with  us  taught  her  the  value  of 
giving  the  colonists  the  widest  possible  latitude  in  self- 
government,  with  the  result  that  the  most  democratic 
and  socialistic  governments  of  the  world  are  to  be 
found  in  some  of  the  colonies  of  Great  Britain. 

Randolph  talked  at  length  with  Obesequia  about  the 
latter's  plans  and  ambitions,  and  discovered  that  the  Cin- 
galese was  diligently  studying  and  observing  to  ascer- 
tain what  public  measures  he  should  advocate  for  his 
home  government.  Randolph  found  him  well  versed  in 
political  economy  and  familiar  with  many  of  the 
obstacles  to  a  pure  democracy  in  the  United  States. 
Obesequia  pointed  out  to  Randolph  how  much  more 
freedom  of  advocacy  and  of  action  were  allowed  in  his 
country,  and  to  what  extent  they  had  gone  in  the 
direction  of  popular  government. 

"Egypt  has  been  so  full  of  romance  ever  since  the 
world  began  that  I  am  sure  you  must  have  a  hundred 

172 


THE    LIBERATORS 
romantic  stories,  Abaza  Bey,"  said  Mrs.  Strong  to  the 
Egyptian.     His  countenance  lighted  up  at  the  compH- 
ment  to  his  country,  but  his  diffidence  was  apparent. 
'■'Yes,"  he  said  thoughtfully,  "there  is  much  romance 
even  now  in  Egypt.    Though  we  are  under  the  rule  of 
a  foreign  military  occupation,  still  our  people  preserve 
their  simple  natures  and  their  warmth  of  feeling.    A 
friend  of  mine  went  through  a  most  interesting  ro- 
mance, but  I  fear  I  am  not  capable  of  relating  it  to 
you." 

"Oh,  yes,  your  are!"  came  from  every  feminine 
throat,  accompanied  by  the  bewitching  American  smile, 
which  Abaza  Bey  often  declared  would  melt  the' 
Sphinx  and  cause  it  to  prattle  like  a  sixteen-year-old 
girl  just  home  from  school. 

In  mock  resignation  to  his  fate,  he  began  : 
"This  is  the  tale.    You  know  that  in  my  country  en- 
gagements are  made  through  the  male  parents.     The 
father  of  a  marriageable  young  man  selects  a  family  of 
equal  or  better  standing,  into  which  he  wishes  his  son 
to  marry.     Then  he  goes  to  the  father  of  the  young 
lady  and  asks  for  her  hand  for  his  son,  and  if  accept- 
able an  agreement  with  due  forfeiture  is  entered  into 
Following  that  the  ceremony    of    engagement    takes 
place,  when  the  young  people  pledge  their  troth  and 
another  solemn  compact  is  made.     Then  follows  the 

^7?> 


THE    LIBERATORS 

wedding  ceremony,  all  according  to  the  Mohammedan 
religion.  Of  course  the  mother  of  the  young  man  is 
entitled  to  visit  the  girl  to  see  if  she  has  physical 
charms  and  comeliness;  but  not  so  the  son,  until  the 
wedding  ceremony  is  completed. 

"Well,  my  friend,  who  belongs  to  an  old  and  wealthy 
Egyptian  family,  had,  since  early  childhood,  been  in- 
fatuated with  a  girl  who  came  from  a  distinguished 
and  titled  family  and  the  mother  of  whom  we  always 
called  'The  Princess.'  You  know  the  females  do  not 
begin  to  wear  the  veil  until  they  are  about  fourteen 
years  of  age.  My  friend  and  the  girl  had  played  to- 
gether and  always  had  been  such  good  friends  that  it 
was  taken  for  granted  they  would  some  time  be 
married.     Even  the  Princess  thought  this. 

"One  day,  when  my  friend  was  about  twenty-one, 
and  was  just  completing  his  education,  the  Princess 
sent  for  him.  He  had  on  his  football  regalia,  as  we 
had  two  excellent  teams  in  Cairo  then,  and  was  just 
going  to  the  game.  The  messenger  said  he  had  orders 
to  bring  him  to  the  Princess  immediately.  My  friend- 
protested  that  his  clothing  was  not  suitable  for  such  an 
audience;  but  the  messenger  persisted,  and  he  went. 
Arrived  in  the  presence  of  the  Princess,  he  found  her 
in  tears. 

"  'And  so  you  are  to  marry  Zelida  ?'  she  began. 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"  'Indeed,  I  am  not !'  my  friend  sternly  interrupted. 
'I  shall  marry  no  one  but  your  daughter.' 

"  'Don't  you  know  that  your  father  has  engaged  you 
to  Zelida?' 

"My  friend  reeled  and  nearly  fell.  'No,  I  did  not,' 
he  said  solemnly.  'In  any  event,  I  shall  never  marry 
her.    I  will  die  first.' 

"  'Tut,  tut,'  the  Princess  replied.  'You  must  not  talk 
in  that  way,  for  you  are  a  good  Mohammedan,  and,  of 
course,  you  will  do  what  your  father  says.  But  it  will 
break  my  poor  daughter's  heart,'  and  she  gave  way  to 
another  flood  of  tears, 

"My  friend  left  her,  almost  insensible  with  grief,  and 
went  to  the  football  field;  but  so  far  away  was  his 
mind  that  we  lost  the  game  through  his  errors.  Arriv- 
ing at  home,  he  asked  his  father  if  the  story  was  true. 
Being  assured  that  it  was,  he  exclaimed  in  wildest 
grief: 

"  'Didn't  you  know  that  I  expected  to  marry  the 
Princess's  daughter?  That  I  love  her?  That  I  shall 
never  marry  any  one  else?' 

"In  vain  his  father  tried  to  console  him,  appealing  to 
his  filial  duty,  his  religious  obligations,  the  pride  of  a 
family  contract.  He  remained  obdurate,  and  would 
not  ratify  the  agreement. 

"The  mother  visited  the  girl,   found  her  fair,  in- 

175 


THE    LIBERATORS 

telligent,  refined.  But  my  friend  was  inexorable.  His 
grief  finally  led  into  a  low  form  of  fever  common  in 
the  Nile  country,  and  in  his  weakened  condition  he 
agreed  to  complete  the  engagement ;  but  when  all  the 
guests  were  gathered  his  will  triumphed,  and  he  re- 
fused to  go  on.  As  a  last  resort,  his  father  took  hint 
to  one  side  and  promised  him  that  he  might  also  marry 
the  daughter  of  the  Princess,  that  he  would  immedi- 
ately ask  for  her  hand  as  soon  as  this  wedding  should 
be  completed,  and  the  son  could  make  her  his  chief 
wife,  but  that  the  family  honor  must  now  be  vindi- 
cated. All  of  which  might  be  done  under  Moham- 
medan laws  and  religious  customs. 

"On  the  strength  of  these  promises  the  engagement 
was  completed  and  the  wedding  ceremony  set  for  an 
early  day.  So  enraptured  was  my  friend  with  this  new 
promise  that  he  flew  to  the  Princess  with  the  informa- 
tion. Determined  that  he  would  be  entirely  loyal  to 
the  one  he  loved,  he  begged  his  father  to  send  him  to 
Europe  to  regain  his  health  as  soon  as  the  wedding 
ceremony  should  be  over.  This  his  father  agreed  to 
do,  for  by  this  time  my  friend  was  really  quite  ill. 
The  rites  were  scarcely  solemnized  and  the  bride 
properly  greeted,  when  my  friend,  with  his  attendants, 
hurried  to  a  boat  which  was  sailing  that  day  from 
Alexandria  for  Naples. 

176 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"For  three  months  he  lay  hi  the  dehrium  of  fever, 
knowing  nothing  of  events  at  home.  It  took  another 
month  for  him  to  recuperate,  and  then  he  sailed  for 
Egypt.  His  first  inquiry  was  for  the  daughter  of  the 
Princess.  He  was  informed  that  she  was  married  to 
a  rich  Shiek.  He  sought  and  obtained  a  secret  inter- 
view with  her,  and  learned  from  her  own  lips  that  he 
had  been  betrayed  during  his  illness.  His  uncle  had 
convinced  the  young  lady  and  the  Princess  that  my 
friend  was  quite  content  with  his  present  wife,  and 
that  everything  was  settled.  Under  his  uncle's  advice 
the  girl  had  married  the  Shiek,  whose  offer  had  before 
been  rejected.  The  lover's  messages,  sent  through  his 
own  family,  had  never  been  delivered.  When  I  saw  my 
friend  that  night  he  had  aged  ten  years,  and  despera- 
tion was  set  in  every  feature  of  his  face.  I  never  left 
him  for  a  moment,  for  I  knew  not  what  his  intense  na- 
ture might  lead  him  to  do.  I  took  him  to  my  apartment 
in  Cairo,  and  through  every  vigil  of  the  night  I  listened 
to  his  sobs  and  moans,  but  I  never  closed  my  eyes. 

"The  morning  post  brought  a  note  for  him,  sent  in 
my  care,  written  in  Arabic.  He  broke  the  seal,  and  as 
soon  as  his  eyes  rested  on  its  page  he  gave  a  shriek 
of  intense  pain  and  fell  back  upon  the  bed  in  what  I 
feared  was  a  death  swoon.  I  summoned  medical  aid, 
and  through  heroic  remedies  the  blood  was  sent  once 

1/7 


THE    LIBERATORS 

more  through  his  veins,  and  powerful  opiates  put  him 
to  sleep.  I  had  taken  the  note  from  the  floor,  where 
it  had  fallen,  and  discovered  that  his  sweetheart  had 
committed  suicide  the  night  before,  but  had  previously 
mailed  him  this  secret  farewell  message.  That  no 
harm  might  come  from  the  note,  I  reduced  it  to  ashes 
and  placed  them  in  a  small  um  for  him. 

"Eight  years  have  passed  since  then.  My  friend  is 
a  good  husband  to  the  wife  his  father  selected  for  him, 
and  they  have  two  beautiful  children.  But  around  his 
neck,  resting  against  his  bare  flesh,  he  always  wears  a 
quaint  old  Egyptian  charm  which  was  given  to  him 
by  the  daughter  of  the  Princess  when  they  were  both 
children. 

"Often  he  will  wander  out  on  the  desert  alone  to 
ofTer  a  prayer  to  Allah  at  sunset  for  her  whom  he  has 
never  ceased  to  love." 

The  simple  tale  touched  every  heart.  Its  theme  was 
the  immolation  of  young  love  on  the  altar  of  family 
pride  and  expediency — in  the  deserts  of  Egypt  this 
time.  Randolph  looked  up,  and  his  eyes  met  those  of 
Virginia.  Each  knew  what  was  in  the  other's 
thoughts. 

The  sadness  and  pathos  of  it  all  had  burned  into 
the  soul  of  Abaza,  whose  eyes  were  covered  with  a 
mist ;  and  there  was  a  suggestion  of  tears  in  his  voice 

178 


THE    LIBERATORS 

as  he  asked  Mrs.  Ames  to  play  again  that  beautiful 
sonata  of  Beethoven  which  he  had  heard  in  the  after- 
noon. 

She  promptly  responded,  and  with  so  much  ardor 
and  feeling  that  she  received  a  hearty  and  unanimous 
encore;  but  she  modestly  declined,  offering  her 
daughter  Virginia  as  a  substitute. 

As  the  girl  took  her  place  at  the  piano  every  one  ob- 
served her  grave,  far-away  expression.  Randolph  had 
been  conscious  of  her  silence  and  preoccupation  during 
the  whole  evening.  Just  as  she  was  seating  herself, 
her  brother  called  to  her. 

"A  song,  Virginia,  please,  a  song." 

She  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  then  playing  her 
own  accompaniment,  sang  the  song  that  she  and 
Randolph  had  heard  the  woman  sing  in  the  morning : 

"The  merry,  merry  lark  was  up  and  singing. 
The  hare  was  out  and  feeding  on  the  lea ; 

The  merry,  merry  bells  below  were  ringing. 
As  my  child's  laugh  rang  thro'  me. 

"Now  the  hare  is  snared  and  dead  beside  the  snow- 
yard, 

And  the  lark  beside  the  dreary  winter  sea. 
And  my  baby  in  his  cradle  in  the  church-yard, 

Waiteth  there  until  the  bells  bring  me." 

179 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  tale  of  Egyptian  love,  the  ever  half-sad,  half- 
joyous  nature  of  the  girl,  the  occurrences  of  the  morn- 
ing, all  combined  to  force  this  song,  which  she  loved 
and  feared,  from  her. 

The  oneness  of  human  sentiment,  whatever  the  race, 
or  the  religion,  or  the  language,  was  demonstrated  by 
the  effect  upon  the  little  assemblage.  When  she  had 
finished  there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  room,  and  it  was 
several  minutes  before  any  one  spoke.  She  had  thrown 
the  pathos  of  her  whole  soul  into  the  last  four  lines, 
and  a  stranger  would  have  thought  that  she  was  a 
young  mother  bereft  of  her  only  child.  The  whole 
story  of  the  joy  and  sorrow  of  human  life  is  so  em- 
bodied in  this  wonderful  song  of  eight  lines  that  its 
sentiment  carried  all  of  the  auditors  into  a  reverie  of 
their  own  experiences. 

When  she  had  finished  she  sat  with  her  head  averted 
for  a  few  minutes;  then,  noticing  the  silence  and  the 
strain  on  the  emotions,  she  played  Mendelssohn's 
Spring  Song  with  all  the  spirit  she  could  command. 
This  restored  the  equilibrium  of  feeling,  and  soon 
afterward  the  party  separated  for  the  night. 

But  Randolph  did  not  seek  sleep.  He  strolled  out 
to  Pike's  Peak  Avenue  and  soon  was  crossing  the  hills 
east  of  the  city,  not  thinking  or  caring  how  far  he 
wandered  from  the  hotel.    On  he  went  to  the  outskirts 

1 80 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  the  city,  and  then  to  the  open  land  beyond.  After 
walking  a  good  five  miles  he  was  out  on  the  boundless 
plains  of  Colorado.  From  early  childhood  the  plains 
had  always  had  a  soothing  effect  upon  him.  Whenever 
troubled  with  the  petty  cares  of  a  young  man,  or  when 
preparing  a  school  oration  or  debate,  he  had  found 
inspiration  and  comfort  on  the  Illinois  prairies  at  night. 
The  vastness  of  it  all,  the  regular  pulse-beats  of  nature 
in  restraint,  the  myriad  of  uplifting  thoughts  that  came 
from  the  stillness  of  the  night,  the  guardian  vigils 
of  the  stars,  all  powerfully  appealed  to  his  poetic 
nature.  The  mountains  never  affected  Randolph  as 
did  the  plains.  They  were  too  impressive,  too  em- 
phatic, too  overwhelming;  awe  inspiring,  indeed,  but 
never  soothing.  He  always  found  his  mental  poise,  his 
spiritual  equilibrium,  his  soulful  inspiration  on  the 
plains ;  and  this  night  he  sought  them  with  the  earnest- 
ness and  zeal  with  which  a  distressed  religious  devotee 
seeks  comfort  and  aid  from  an  honored  churchman. 

He  strode  silently  along,  the  lone  living  creature  on 
this  vast  expanse  of  barren  soil.  Suddenly  he  stopped, 
turned  his  face  toward  the  mountains,  and  throwing 
back  his  head  exclaimed  half  aloud : 

"Changed  conditions  cannot  relieve  me  from  the 
sacredness  of  my  pledge,  and  my  duty  is  clear,  what- 
ever the  conditions  may  be.     I  will  be  just  with  the 

l8i 


THE    LIBERATORS 

views  of  Mr.  Ames  and  ascertain  for  myself  how  his 
operations  affect  government,  but  my  uUimate  purpose 
must  not  be  shaken." 

When  he  arrived  at  the  hotel  the  first  glow  of  the 
summer  dawn  was  on  the  eastern  horizon. 

At  an  early  hour  he  sought  Mr.  Ames  and  told  him 
that  he  would  be  much  pleased  if  the  law  firm  of 
Dalrymple  &  Ames  would  employ  him  for  a  year  at  a 
reasonable  salary,  and  give  him  an  opportunity  to  de- 
termine what  business  course  he  should  pursue  for  the 
future.  This  proposition  was  acceded  to  by  Mr.  Ames 
with  the  reinark: 

"You  are  losing  a  year's  income  as  a  member  of  the 
firm ;  but  I  suppose  if  you  want  to  be  foolish  enough 
to  do  that,  I  have  no  cause  to  complain." 


182 


Chapter   XVIII. 

The  first  few  months  of  Randolph's  employment  by 
the  law  firm  of  Dalrymple  &  Ames  passed  pleasantly 
and  rapidly,  and  he  began  to  feel  that  possibly  he  had 
judged  conditions  too  harshly. 

The  work  assigned  to  him  in  the  office  was  that  of 
making  briefs  on  divers  questions  of  law  that  came 
up  from  every  section  of  the  country  in  which  the 
Ameses  operated.  This  he  found  congenial,  and  he 
readily  learned  to  discriminate  in  the  value  of  the  court 
decisions  of  the  several  States.  The  clear,  apt,  logical 
expositions  of  the  master-spirits  of  the  bench  had  a 
fascinating  charm  for  him  ;  but  when  he  was  compelled 
to  wade  through  the  murky  and  muddy  reasoning  of 
the  mediocre  judges  in  some  of  the  Middle  and 
Western  States  he  was  filled  with  disgust  for  a  people 
that  would  sustain  such  a  judiciary. 

He  was  early  impressed  with  the  recent  tendency  of 
all  the  State  courts — the  brilliant  and  opaque  alike — 
to  favor  the  utility  corporations ;  but,  desiring  prece- 
dents along  that  line,  it  delighted  his  spirit  of 
advocacy  to  find  the  decisions  so  uniform  and  so  unani- 
mous. He  noticed  that  there  was  far  more  independ- 
ence and  difference    of    opinion    among  the  Federal 

183 


THE    LIBERATORS 

judges,  and  that  the  reasons  for  their  conclusions  were 
generally  more  fully  and  clearly  stated  than  were  those 
of  the  State  judges. 

He  came  in  contact  with  but  few  of  the  attorneys 
employed  by  the  firm,  as  he  acted  directly  under  the  in- 
structions of  Judge  Dalrymple,  but  several  times  when 
he  was  in  Judge  Dalrymple's  office  he  met  a  young 
man  named  James  Henderson,  who  had  been  with  the 
Judge  five  years  and  in  whom  he  seemed  to  have  great 
confidence.  Randolph  had  also  met  Henderson  at  the 
Ames's  house,  and  easily  discovered  that  he  was  a 
favorite  with  Mr.  Ames. 

James  Henderson  was  a  young  man  about  thirty- 
five  years  of  age,  tall,  handsome,  with  polished 
manners,  rather  loud  of  voice  and  self-conscious  in 
bearing,  but  suave,  insinuating,  tactful  and  forceful. 
He  had  been  trained  to  the  law  in  the  office  of  the 
attorneys  for  the  Ames  interests  in  Chicago,  and 
during  his  career  in  the  big  Western  city  had  been  par- 
ticularly successful  in  handling  matters  before  city 
councils  and  in  state  legislatures.  His  talent  along 
these  lines  was  so  great  that  he  had  been  transferred  to 
the  New  York  office  five  years  previously,  and  had 
been  given  general  supervision  of  this  sort  of  work 
all  over  the  United  States.  He  was  one  of  the  best- 
paid  men  in  the  employ  of  Judge  Dalrymple,  receiving 

184 


THE    LIBERATORS 

a  salary  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  a  year  and  a  con- 
tingent fund  of  elastic  proportions  for  his  operations. 

In  a  social  way  Randolph  had  reason  to  congratulate 
himself  upon  his  good  fortune,  for  Mrs.  Ames  took 
considerable  pains  to  have  him  meet  desirable  people, 
and  those  that  would  appeal  to  his  intellectual  nature. 

He  had  become  fast  friends  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spencer  Harding,  and  often  spent  Sunday  evenings 
during  the  winter  of  the  year  at  their  house,  where 
he  was  always  certain  to  meet  some  of  the  brightest 
and  most  famous  writers,  musicians  and  artists  of  New 
York. 

Randolph  found  the  Sunday  night  suppers  of  the 
Hardings  notable  for  the  wit,  humor,  good  stories  and 
brilliant  conversation  that  characterized  them.  He 
discovered  that  Spencer  Harding,  besides  being  an 
architect  of  high  rank,  was  also  a  man  of  letters  and  a 
broad  and  practical  humanitarian.  He  was  fond  of  the 
genuine  hospitality  of  Mrs.  Harding,  a  Kentuckian  by 
birth  and  a  highly  cultured  woman,  whose  greatest 
ambition  was  to  assist  her  husband  in  reaching  the 
heights  of  his  profession,  and  to  make  life  agreeable 
and  pleasant  for  their  friends. 

He  found  time  to  do  much  riding  with  Virginia  and 
Mrs.  Strong,  and  altogether  his  life  moved  along 
pleasant  lines.    Mrs.  Strong  was  still  his  valuable  ad- 

I8S 


THE    LIBERATORS 

viser,  and  her  confidence  in  his  final  outcome  grew 
stronger  every  day. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  he  was  sent  to  the 
West  on  matters  of  legislation  in  one  of  the  trans- 
Mississippi  States  and  to  look  after  the  obtaining  of 
a  new  lighting  franchise  in  one  of  the  smaller  cities  of 
a  State  further  east.  This  work  would  have  fallen  to 
Henderson,  but  he  was  busily  engaged  in  the  North- 
west and  wrote  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  leave ; 
so  Judge  Dalrymple  outlined  to  Randolph  what  was 
needed,  and,  skilled  as  he  was,  did  not  succeed  in 
entirely  concealing  the  doubts  he  entertained  as  to  the 
young  man's  fitness  for  the  mission.. 

"You  understand,"  he  said  to  Randolph,  "we  wish 
to  enact  a  law  that  will  permit  us  to  consolidate  our 
interests  and  to  acquire  competing  lines  of  road  there. 
Our  local  attorney  has  already  had  the  bill  introduced 
in  the  Legislature  and  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
passing  it,  as  in  the  recent  election  we  contributed 
large  sums  of  money,  and  our  friends  assure  us  they 
will  organize  the  Legislature  and  seat  their  State  of- 
ficers. You  are  to  look  over  the  field  thoroughly  and 
advise  me  of  the  situation.  We  must  get  the  law  en- 
acted, as  it  is  vital  to  our  affairs  in  arranging  a  basis 
for  a  new  capitalization,  for  this  bill  wipes  out  all  possi- 
bility of  future  competition." 

i86 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Randolph  frankly  expressed  his  doubts  of  his  abiHty 
to  do  this  work  successfully,  but  Judge  Dalrymple 
waved  his  objections  aside. 

"It  is  true  you  are  inexperienced ;  but  our  local 
attorney  there  will  take  the  lead,  and  he  is  skilled  in 
this  sort  of  business.  Follow  his  methods  closely  and 
you  will  soon  get  the  idea." 

With  many  misgivings  Randolph  started  on  his  trip. 

Arrived  at  his  destination,  he  found  matters  political 
and  governmental  in  interminable  chaos.  For  some 
years  the  Republican  party  had  been  the  dominant  party, 
and  at  the  recent  election  the  public  service  corpora- 
tions had  dictated  the  nomination  of  the  entire  Repub- 
lican State  and  Legislative  ticket,  and  had  placed  a 
campaign  fund  of  a  million  dollars,  or  three  dollars 
apiece  for  every  voter  in  the  State,  in  the  hands  of  the 
Republican  committee  to  elect  the  ticket. 

Henry  Fowler,  a  retired  millionaire,  was  making  the 
race  for  the  United  States  Senate,  backed  by  the  solid 
support  of  the  corporations.  The  franchises  of  the 
principal  city  utility  corporations  of  the  capital  city 
were  about  to  expire.  The  burdens  imposed  by  the 
other  utility  companies  were  becoming  so  onerous  that 
the  people  had  arisen  in  their  might,  and,  abandoning 
all  party  ties,  had  nominated  a  Citizens'  ticket  that  had 
carried  the  State  by  fifteen  thousand  majority  for  the 

187 


THE    LIBERATORS 

State  ticket,  and  had  carried  the  lower  house  of  the 
Legislature  by  ten,  and  the  Senate  by  five,  majority. 

The  corporations  and  their  candidate  for  the  Senate 
had  pledged  a  fund  of  two  million  dollars  to  undo  the 
work  of  the  people  at  the  polls,  and  were  determined 
to  unseat  enough  members  of  the  Legislature  to  give 
them  a  clear  majority  in  both  Houses,  and  then  have 
the  Legislature  seat  their  State  candidates. 

Randolph  took  quarters  at  the  leading  hotel  and 
awaited  developments.  He  was  astonished  at  the 
articles  and  editorials  in  the  Echo,  the  corporation 
daily  paper  of  the  capital  city.  It  boldly  advised  the 
State  Canvassing  Board — vested  by  law  with  power 
only  to  tabulate  the  returns  for  members  of  the  Legis- 
lature— to  change  the  result  in  a  score  of  counties,  thus 
giving  the  corporations  control  of  the  Legislature.  One 
of  the  first  of  these  editorials  dumbfounded  Randolph. 
It  ran  thus: 

"What  did  the  people  know  about  the  issues  of  the 
campaign?  There  is  too  much  involved  to  turn  the 
State  over  to  a  lot  of  nondescript  candidates,  such  as 
composed  the  Citizens'  ticket.  The  only  reason  they 
did  not  use  money  in  the  campaign  was  because  they 
could  not  get  it.  Good,  safe  government  must  be  pre- 
served at  all  hazards,  and  the  State  Canvassing  Board 
and  the  Legislature  must  do  their  duty  to  see  that  the 

l88 


THE    LIBERATORS 

men  who  own  the  State  continue  to  control  it.  Popu- 
lar majorities  count  for  nothing  as  against  safe  gov- 
ernment. Pay  no  attention  to  the  ravings  of  irrespon- 
sible people.  The  men  with  money  are  practically 
all  on  the  Republican  side,  and  they  demand  the  throw- 
ing out  of  the  majority  obtained  by  demagogic  appeals, 
and  the  seating  of  those  who  were  elected  by  a  majority 
of  the  votes  of  responsible  citizens.  Neither  must  the 
Legislature  weaken  in  its  duty.  No  Citizens'  candidate 
whose  place  is  contested  should  be  seated  under  any 
circumstances,  and  every  member  of  the  Legislature 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  should  understand  this 
and  be  prepared  to  do  his  duty. 

"The  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  can  be  relied  upon 
to  uphold  the  people  that  own  the  State,  so  members  of 
the  Legislature  have  nothing  to  fear  from  any  source, 
except  from  the  railings  of  those  who  will  be  defeated 
by  the  operation,  and  all  they  can  do  is  to  hold  meetings 
and  pass  resolutions  and  make  speeches,  as  they  will 
have  no  voice  in  any  of  the  affairs  of  government." 

Day  after  day  this  sort  of  doctrine  was  preached 
to  the  people  of  the  State,  and  Randolph  wondered  at 
the  apathy  of  those  who  had  elected  the  Citizens' 
ticket.  The  Mayor  and  other  officers  of  the  capital 
city  were  Democrats,  who  had  been  elected  by  the 
corporation  influences  that  now  were  backing  the  Re- 

189 


THE    LIBERATORS 

publicans  in  gaining  control  of  the  State,  and  every  day 
these  Democratic  officials  could  be  seen  coming  out  of 
Republican  headquarters  in  Randolph's  hotel. 

The  Governor  of  the  State — a  pliant  tool  of 
the  corporations,  and  a  candidate  for  re-election — had 
called  out  a  company  of  the  State  militia  to  guard  the 
State  House  and  the  State  Canvassing  Board,  and  the 
Mayor  of  the  city  had  volunteered  to  detail  a  police- 
man to  every  member  of  the  Legislature  who  might 
request  one. 

Randolph  found  Amos  Howard,  the  local  attorney  of 
the  Ames  interests,  acting  with  the  corporations  in 
seating  the  Republican  candidates.  Howard  was  a 
tall,  portly  man  with  closely  cropped  black  hair,  slow  of 
movement,  but  quick  of  thought  and  rather  thrasonical 
in  speech.  He  looked  the  part  of  a  typical  party  boss. 
For  years  his  lash  of  authority  had  controlled  city 
councils,  and  he  was  the  sort  of  man  who  would  have 
undertaken  to  buy  all  of  the  Twelve  Disciples,  instead 
of  only  one,  to  betray  the  Saviour, 

His  law  practice  consisted  more  in  what  he  could  do 
as  a  lobbyist  than  in  what  he  could  accomplish  through 
legal  learning,  and  he  had  around  his  office  a  retinue 
of  skilful  political  strikers  who  kept  him  posted  on  all 
the  large  and  small  gossip  of  the  day.  He  told  Ran- 
dolph that  more  money  was  needed  for  the  pool,  as 

190 


THE    LIBERATORS 

he  had  pledgfed  the  Ames  interests  for  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  only  one  hundred  thousand  had 
been  paid,  and  the  other  hundred  thousand  was  due  in 
a  few  days.  He  suggested  that  Randolph  had  better 
notify  the  home  office,  as  it  would  not  do  to  be  late  with 
the  contribution. 

"I  am  informed  that  a  total  of  two  million  dollars 
has  been  pledged  for  this  contest,"  said  Randolph. 
"What  possible  use  can  be  made  of  so  much  money?" 

'"Use !  Use !"  repeated  the  other.  "Why,  my  dear 
fellow,  don't  you  know  that  our  candidates  for  the 
legislature  realize  the  immense  value  of  the  city  fran- 
chises that  are  expiring  and  that  cannot  be  renewed 
except  at  a  large  tribute  to  the  treasury  of  the  city 
unless  we  seat  our  candidates?  You  must  remember 
there  are  four  Supreme  Court  judges  involved  in  this 
election,  and  if  we  seat  them  we  feel  sure  of  getting 
decisions  making  these  city  franchises  perpetual.  If 
the  Citizens'  judges  are  seated  the  decisions  will  be 
the  other  way,  and  that  would  mean  a  loss  of  twenty- 
five  millions  to  the  city  corporations  alone.  What  is  a 
bagatelle  of  two  millions  of  dollars  under  the  circum- 
stances? Why,  Fowler  should  be  willing  to  pay  that 
to  go  to  the  Senate." 

"But  what  do  you  mean  ?    How  can  you  expend  so 

191 


THE    LIBERATORS 

large  a  sum?  What  expense  can  possibly  reach  that 
enormous  amount?"  Randolph  insisted. 

Howard  gazed  at  him  for  several  minutes  without 
saying  a  word,  then  inhaling  the  smoke  of  his  cigar, 
he  let  it  pass  through  his  nostrils  while  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  ceiling.  This  operation  he  repeated 
several  times  in  absolute  silence.  Then  looking  at 
Randolph  curiously,  he  said : 

"Have  you  ever  had  any  dealings  with  state  legis- 
latures or  city  councils?" 

"No,  I  have  not,"  replied  Randolph. 

"Then,  for  God's  sake,  go  home !  This  is  no  place 
for  you.  And  yet,  how  do  you  happen  to  be  in  the 
employ  of  Charles  Henry  Ames,  if  you  know  nothing 
about  such  things  ?" 

"I  am  only  temporarily  employed." 

"Don't  you  know  that  every  vote  that  is  cast  for  the 
corporations  in  this  fight  must  be  paid  for  at  so  much 
per?  This  relates  to  the  State  Canvassing  Board  as 
well  as  to  members  of  the  Legislature.  We  also  retain 
lawyer  friends  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  to 
assist  us  in  the  legal  contests,  and  pay  them  large  fees. 
Then  we  must  subsidize  the  newspapers.  You  don't 
think  that  all  the  stuflf  that  appears  in  the  Echo  is 
free?  Why,  we  have  agreed  to  pay  them  one  thousand 
dollars  a  day  during  the  entire  contest.    Then  we  have 

192 


THE    LIBERATORS 

an  army  of  lobbyists.  Every  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture— every  person  we  expect  to  seat — has  half  a 
dozen  paid  men  with  him  from  his  home  county  con- 
tinually. Then  we  have  the  most  complete  reports  of 
the  doings  of  every  one  of  our  officials  during  every 
hour  of  the  twenty-four.  There  are  ways  enough  to 
spend  the  money,  I  assure  you." 

Just  as  Howard  finished,  Jack  Jameson,  one  of  his 
most  valued  political  workers,  came  in.  He  had  met 
Randolph  before  in  Howard's  office  and  had  formed 
a  strong  liking  for  him.  He  had  also  seen  him  around 
the  lobby  of  the  hotel  and  had  pointed  out  the  local 
celebrities  to  him,  and  in  other  ways  had  shown  him 
some  attention. 

"Mornin',  gentlemen.  Hope  I'm  not  intrudin',"  said 
Jameson. 

"No,  no,  come  right  in,"  answered  Howard.  "Ran- 
dolph was  asking  me  what  could  possibly  be  done  with 
so  much  money  in  this  fight,  and  I  was  trying  to  tell 
him.    Suppose  you  try  your  hand  at  it." 

Jameson  pulled  his  black  derby  hat  down  partly 
over  his  eyes,  assumed  a  serious  look,  and  said: 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you,  pardner.  The  churches  have 
had  a  hard  time  this  last  year ;  the  Salvation  Army  is 
dead  broke ;  the  Tabernacle  down  in  the  slums  is  about 
to  close  its  doors  from  lack  of  funds ;  and  we  have  de- 

193 


THE    LIBERATORS 

termined  to  take  this  money  to-morrow  and  divide  it 
equally  among  all  of  them.  What  do  you  think  of  it?" 
And  he  laughed  in  Randolph's  face — a  hearty,  good- 
natured,  infectious  laugh,  so  much  so  that  Randolph 
could  not  keep  from  joining  in  it. 

Then  turning  to  Howard,  Jameson  went  on : 

"I  don't  think  we  ought  to  discuss  these  matters  be- 
fore this  gentleman.  He  isn't  used  to  this  dirty  busi- 
ness, and  why  should  we  offend  him  by  discussing  it 
in  his  presence?" 

"Oh,  I  assure  you,  I  asked  the  questions,"  Ran- 
dolph hastened  to  say. 

"Well,  all  right,"  said  Jameson.  "You  don't  need  to 
know  the  details  of  the  work.  I'll  post  you  from  day 
to  day  on  the  result,  but  don't  you  soil  your  hands  with 
this  business," 

Randolph  looked  his  gratitude,  and  thanking  Jame- 
son, left  for  his  hotel. 

That  night  Randolph  wrote  Judge  Dalrymple  a  per- 
sonal letter,  giving  him  a  resume  of  the  entire  situa- 
tion. After  detailing  to  him  the  plans  for  obtaining 
control  of  the  legislative,  the  judicial  and  the  execu- 
tive branches  of  the  government,  he  said : 

"The  whole  thing  is  infamous.  It  strikes  at  the 
foundation  of  honest  government  and  is  a  crime  of 
such  magnitude  that  no  person  who  countenances  it 

194 


THE    LIBERATORS 

can  possibly  prosper.  I  urge  you  by  all  that  you  hold 
sacred  to  withdraw  your  support  from  the  scoundrels 
that  are  trying  to  steal  the  government  of  this  State. 
Your  ticket  was  fairly  defeated  at  the  polls.  Abide 
by  the  result.  Your  interests  are  perfectly  safe  with 
honest  men;  they  surely  will  be  jeopardized  with 
thieves  and  boodlers  in  control  of  the  State  govern- 
ment. So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  you  must  not  expect 
me  to  turn  a  hand  to  help  the  consummation  of  this 
damnable  conspiracy.  I  am  only  sorry  I  am  not  in  a 
position  to  resist  it.  Appeal  to  Mr.  Ames  to  use  his 
influence  to  stop  it.  If  he  will  take  a  firm  stand 
against  stealing  these  offices  the  whole  conspiracy  will 
fail,  as  Fowler  dare  not  go  against  him;  and  if  those 
two  are  out  of  it  the  others  will  quit.  I  feel  so  cer- 
tain that  a  consummation  of  this  crime  means  a  great 
disaster,  eventually,  to  Mr.  Ames's  interests  in  this 
State  that  you  may  say  to  him  that  I  will  risk  my 
reputation  upon  that  prediction." 

In  a  few  days  Randolph  received  a  reply  from  Judge 
Dalrymple.  It  was  most  formal  in  tone,  and  simply 
said : 

''We  have  forwarded  the  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars to  Howard.  Henderson  will  join  you  in  a  few 
days.  Mr.  Ames  thinks  you  are  not  as  devoted  to  our 
interests  as  you  should  be  and  that  you  are  allowing 

195 


THE    LIBERATORS 

outside  considerations  to  influence  you.  However,  you 
will  probably  understand  these  matters  better  when 
Henderson  arrives." 


196 


Chapter  XIX. 

"What  in  the  world  have  you  done  to  disturb 
Father  ?  He  incidentally  remarked  last  night  that  they 
had  sent  Mr.  Henderson  to  assist  you  and  that  he 
feared  you  were  not  devoted  enough  to  his  interests. 
I  don't  understand  it  at  all.  He  has  always  been  so 
enthusiastic  about  your  work,  and  this  is  the  first  time 
he  has  ever  found  fault.  What  has  gone  wrong  with 
you?    Please  write  me  all  about  it." 

And  he  did.  No  sooner  had  Randolph  received  this 
letter  from  Virginia  than  he  wrote  her  the  full  story 
of  the  shame  and  disgrace  that  were  being  forced  upon 
a  free  people. 

"If  in  any  way  consistent  with  your  dignity  and 
your  duty  as  a  daughter  you  can  bring  these  matters 
to  the  attention  of  your  father,  I  wish  you  would  do 
so.  Beg  him  in  the  name  of  justice  to  desist.  If  he 
will  take  a  stalwart  stand  for  the  rule  of  the  people  he 
can  force  the  others  to  quit;  for  his  representatives 
here  are  all-powerful  in  handling  affairs  of  this  kind, 
and  his  railroad  system  controls  the  destinies  of  so 
many  sections  of  the  State  that  the  legislature  will  not 
go  against  him.    I  did  not  intend  to  tell  you  about  these 

197 


THE    LIBERATORS 

affairs,  but  a  request  from  you  is  a  command,  so  I 
have  obeyed  and  told  you  all." 

Mrs.  Strong  had  gone  to  Europe  for  a  stay  of  sev- 
eral months,  so  he  was  deprived  of  her  valuable  in- 
fluence, which  just  now  he  thought  might  have  stopped 
Mr.  Ames  from  permitting  the  conspiracy  to  go 
further. 

A  few  days  after  this  Henderson  arrived.  He  and 
Randolph  went  to  Howard's  office  for  a  conference. 
The  whole  matter  was  gone  over  thoroughly  by  How- 
ard to  Henderson,  and  Henderson  expressed  himself 
as  being  satisfied  with  the  plan  and  its  purposes. 

"Then  you  will  take  supreme  control  of  affairs  here 
for  Mr.  Ames,  will  you  not?"  asked  Randolph. 

"My  instructions  are  to  cooperate  with  you,"  replied 
Henderson. 

"Yes,  I  know,  that  was  out  of  deference  to  me  be- 
cause I  was  here  first.  But  I  waive  that,  and  unless 
you  object,  I  much  prefer  that  you  should  take  su- 
preme control." 

"Certainly,  if  you  wish  it,"  and  it  was  apparent  that 
Randolph  had  tickled  the  vanity  of  his  colleague. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  patriotism  has  triumphed  at  last," 
said  Jameson,  as  he  came  into  the  room  with  his  hat 
cocked  on  one  side  of  his  head,  and  with  a  semi- 
comical  smile  on  his  face.     "The  Supreme  Court  has 

198 


THE    LIBERATORS 

told  the  State  Canvassing  Board  that  it  can  do  as  it 
pleases  about  unseating  members  of  the  legislature,  and 
it  didn't  take  the  board  twenty  minutes  to  throw  out 
twenty  members  of  the  opposition  and  to  seat  twenty 
of  our  men  in  their  places.  The  certificates  were  all 
made  out  and  signed  in  advance ;  for,  don't  you  know, 
they  somehow  guessed  two  days  ago  what  the  decision 
of  the  Supreme  Court  was  goin'  to  be.  How  do  you 
s'pose  they  knew  ?"  And  he  gave  Henderson  a  know- 
ing look,  then  added : 

"I  tell  you,  our  fellers  are  a  wise  lot,  and  you  bet 
they  alius  go  down  the  line."  Then  he  laughed  that 
deep,  infectious  laugh  in  which  the  others,  except  Ran- 
dolph, joined  him. 

Noticing  this,  he  said:  ''What's  the  matter,  pard? 
Ain't  you  feelin'  well  to-day?  Come  with  me,  we  will 
get  out  in  the  air." 

When  they  reached  the  street  he  said :  "Purty  tough, 
ain't  it,  pard?  But  really  we  had  to  do  it.  Look  at 
the  boys  that  would  be  thrown  out  of  a  job  if  the  other 
fellers  got  in.  Then  this  is  a  mighty  cold  winter,  and 
we  'uns  must  get  some  money  somewhere  for  the  folks 
at  home.  What  makes  you  so  serious,  pard?  I  know 
it's  beastly  work  to  spend  so  much  money,  but  the  other 
fellers  would  throw  us  out  if  they  had  the  chance. 
Why,  the  Democrats  did  it  a  few  years  ago.    Fact  is, 

199 


THE    LIBERATORS 

that  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  to-day  is  their  de- 
cision. They  got  it  when  it  helped  them,  and  we  used 
their  decision  to  help  us  against  this  reform  outfit. 
Ain't  that  fair?" 

"Don't  let  us  talk  about  it,"  said  Randolph.  "Tell 
me  about  your  family.    How  many  children  have  you  ?" 

"Two,"  said  Jameson,  and  his  face  beamed.  "Two 
of  the  purtiest  girls  you  ever  saw.  Smart,  too.  One  of 
them  is  taking  all  sorts  of  prizes  in  school,  and  gradu- 
ates next  year.  T'other  one  has  just  started  to  high 
school.  Their  mother's  a  fine  woman,  I  tell  you, 
mighty  fine." 

For  half  an  hour  Randolph  encouraged  him  to  go 
on  about  his  family,  and  Jameson  readily  enough  com- 
plied, for  it  was  evident  that  he  was  proud  of  them. 

They  were  going  through  one  of  the  residence 
streets  in  which  electric  street  cars  were  run.  They 
saw  a  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arms  start  across  the 
street,  and  an  instant  afterward  they  heard  the  clang, 
clang  of  the  trolley-car  bell — but  the  motorman  made 
no  effort  to  slacken  the  speed  of  his  car.  When  the 
car  stopped,  about  half  a  block  beyond  where  it  struck 
the  woman,  it  still  carried  portions  of  the  clothing  of 
both  child  and  mother.  The  sight  was  sickening.  Ran- 
dolph took  the  motorman  severely  to  task  for  the  speed 

200 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  his  car  and  his  carelessness;  but  the  fellow  only 
leered  at  him,  and  said : 

"You  act  as  though  you  owned  these  streets  your- 
self. People  haven't  got  any  business  crossing  street- 
car tracks  with  kids  that  way.  We  know  our  business, 
and  don't  need  your  advice." 

"Well,  just  the  same,  we  will  see  that  your  company 
pays  dearly  for  this,  won't  we,  Jameson?"  But  Jame- 
son made  no  deply.  After  the  ambulance  had  taken 
the  remains  of  mother  and  child  away,  and  the  crowd 
had  disappeared,  Randolph  said : 

"Jameson,  we  must  write  an  account  of  this  immedi- 
ately, so  we  shall  have  it  clearly  in  our  minds  when  the 
case  is  tried,  for  of  course  her  family  will  bring  an 
action ;  and  I  am  willing  to  cross  the  continent  to  tes- 
tify against  a  corporation  that  has  no  more  regard  for 
human  life  than  this  street-railway  company  has." 

But  Jameson  shook  his  head. 

"No  use,"  he  said,  "no  use.  They  own  the  courts. 
No  one  gets  on  the  jury  unless  they  say  so.  The 
sheriff  is  theirs.  So  is  the  coroner.  You  will  see  to- 
morrow the  coroner's  jury  will  find  the  woman  was 
careless,  not  the  railroad.  No  use.  I'd  like  to  salivate 
them  for  a  million,  but  what  can  I  do?  Howard's 
their  lawyer,  and  of  course  I  can't  chirp.  If  I'm 
called,  I  don't  know  anything.    What  else  can  I  do? 

201 


THE    LIBERATORS 

You  see  how  their  diggin'  down  that  hill  has  left  all 
those  beautiful  residences  in  the  air,  and  killed  their 
value.  Well,  that  shows  the  grip  of  these  fellers — 
that  was  done  to  give  the  tramway  an  easy  grade — 
nothin'  else.  Them  chumps  of  property  owners  don't 
count  in  elections.  The  darned  fools  don't  even  vote. 
See?" 

"Let's  go  home,"  said  Randolph. 

In  silence  they  went  back  to  the  hotel.  Randolph 
bade  Jameson  good-day  and  went  to  his  room.  A  let- 
ter had  arrived  from  Virginia,  and  Randolph  hastened 
to  read  it.  The  part  relating  to  his  request  he  read 
several  times. 

'T  sought  an  opportunity  when  I  could  talk  with 
Father  alone  about  what  you  wrote  me.  I  took  pains 
not  to  compromise  you,  and  of  course  I  had  to  ask  many 
questions  to  get  information  from  him.  'My  child,'  he 
said,  'those  are  questions  too  deep  and  complicated  for 
your  understanding.  Why  are  you  concerned  about 
them  ?'  I  told  him  that  he  should  not  have  sent  you  on 
such  a  mission,  and  he  said  laughingly,  'Poor  Randolph 
made  a  sorry  figure  attending  to  our  business  before 
Henderson  got  there,  but  it  is  all  right  now.  Hender- 
son wires  me  to-day  that  everything  is  in  good  shape 
and  that  all  of  our  officers  will  be  seated  within  ten 
days.'     When  I  protested  against  this  procedure  he 

202 


THE    LIBERATORS 

simply  smiled  and  told  me  I  did  not  understand  such 
matters ;  that  their  business  required  them  to  do  what 
they  were  doing,  and  that  everything  would  come  out 
all  right.  So  I  fear  I  am  not  a  good  ambassador,  as  I 
utterly  failed  in  getting  any  results  for  you.  How- 
ever, I  don't  think  Father  is  vexed  with  you  any  longer, 
and  that  is  gratifying  to  me.  Please  hurry  through 
out  there,  as  we  all  want  to  see  you  very  much." 

The  next  day  saw  a  wild  tumult  in  the  capital  city. 
Determined  and  armed  men  came  from  every  section 
of  the  State  and  threatened  to  blow  the  State  House 
into  a  million  pieces  if  the  members  of  the  legislature 
were  different  from  those  elected  at  the  polls. 

A  monster  mass  meeting  was  advertised  for  that 
night  on  the  grounds  of  the  State  Capitol.  The  Daily 
Truth  was  the  only  paper  published  at  the  capital  city 
that  was  free  from  corporation  control,  and  it  preached 
the  doctrines  of  popular  rights  and  justice  with  mighty 
vigor — in  fact,  with  so  much  vigor  that  the  editor  was 
cited  before  the  Supreme  Court  on  account  of  his  de- 
nunciation of  the  court's  decision  in  the  State  Can- 
vassing Board  matter.  He  was  given  five  days  to  show 
cause  why  he  should  not  be  punished  for  contempt  of 
court. 

The  governor  mobilized  the  militia  from  all  parts  of 
the  State,  and  when  night  came  there  were  five  thou- 

203 


THE    LIBERATORS 

sand  soldiers  under  arms ;  the  mayor  had  sworn  in  two 
thousand  special  policemen  and  the  sheriff  one  thou- 
sand deputies ;  all  citizens  found  with  weapons  in  their 
possession  were  disarmed,  and  the  militia  stretched  a 
cordon  completely  around  the  capitol  grounds  to  see 
that  no  harmful  action  was  taken  at  the  public  meeting. 
The  Echo  was  continually  guarded  by  a  hundred 
soldiers. 

The  legislature  met  under  the  protection  of  the 
militia  and  started  to  canvass  the  returns  on  State  offi- 
cials. To  overthrow  the  majority  for  the  Citizens' 
ticket  required  the  annulling  of  the  votes  of  fifteen 
counties  out  of  fifty-five. 

For  these  counties  contests  were  filed  challenging 
the  poll  of  each  and  a  demand  was  made  that  the  en- 
tire vote  be  thrown  out.  The  Legislature  took  four 
days  to  canvass  the  uncontested  counties.  On  the 
fourth  day  the  Supreme  Court  sent  the  editor  of  the 
Daily  Truth  to  jail  for  thirty  days  for  contempt,  and 
the  jailor  made  the  imprisonment  as  onerous  as  pos- 
sible, by  denying  the  prisoner  an  opportunity  of  con- 
ferring with  any  person  but  his  attorney,  and  by 
harassing  him  in  a  hundred  petty  ways. 

On  the  fifth  day  the  Legislature  in  joint  session, 
without  any  hearing  except  a  perfunctory  one,  and 
with  a  debate  limited  to  five  minutes  to  each  speaker, 

204 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  to  two  hours  in  the  total,  threw  out  all  of  the 
fifteen  contested  counties  and  declared  the  entire  Re- 
publican ticket  elected.  All  attempts  at  expressing 
public  indignation  were  stifled  by  force,  and  with  a 
sullenness  that  boded  no  good  to  the  corporations  the 
people  looked  on  while  these  revolutionary  proceedings 
were  being  enacted. 

Randolph  boiled  with  indignation  and  burned  with 
a  desire  to  help  the  citizens  whose  birthright  was  being 
destroyed  so  ruthlessly.  Twice  he  wrote  a  telegram 
resigning  his  position,  but  each  time  he  concluded  that 
honor  required  him  to  stay  his  year  out,  and  that  he 
would  do  so  whatever  came. 

As  soon  as  the  new  judges  took  their  seats  on  the 
Supreme  bench,  the  rapid-transit  company,  the  light- 
ing company,  the  water  company,  and  the  telephone 
company  applied  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  an  injunc- 
tion to  restrain  the  city  or  any  individual  from  inter- 
fering with  their  operation  under  franchises  which 
they  claimed  were  perpetual.  The  allegations  of  cause 
for  the  Supreme  Court  to  take  original  jurisdiction 
were  quite  complete,  and  that  august  tribunal  lost  no 
time  in  issuing  a  temporary  injunction,  and  set  the 
matter  for  a  final  hearing  twenty  days  ahead. 

Fowler  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  and 
left  immediately  for  the  East,  to  prepare  for  his  in- 

205 


THE    LIBERATORS 

itiation  into  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  American 
House  of  Lords.  With  the  election  contest  out  of  the 
way,  Randolph  and  Henderson  turned  their  attention 
to  the  railway  bill.  A  conference  was  arranged  with 
Howard  at  his  office,  at  which  Jameson  was  to  report 
as  to  the  standing  of  the  legislature  on  the  matter. 

"Well,  gents,"  said  Jameson,  "I  think  fifty  thousand 
plunks  will  land  it  all  right." 

''What  do  you  mean  ?"  asked  Randolph. 

"Now,  here,  pardner,  I'd  rather  talk  Sunday  school 
to  you  than  this  sort  of  business.  Your  friend,  Hen- 
derson, understands  these  things,  but  you  never  will. 
I  really  don't  think  you  ought  to  listen  to  this  talk. 
It's  too  practical." 

"Do  you  mean  that  the  members  of  the  legislature 
have  to  be  paid  to  pass  this  bill,  after  Mr.  Ames  con- 
tributed first  to  elect  them,  and  then  afterward  most 
liberally  to  seat  them  ?" 

"That's  it,  pard,  you  guessed  right  the  first  time. 
You  see  they  ain't  got  any  memories  at  all,  and  there's 
a  lot  of  children  at  home  crying  for  bread.  Then  they 
reason  purty  well,  too.  Says  one  of  them  to  me  to- 
day :  'Why  should  we  give  Ames  several  millions  by 
our  votes,  unless  we  get  part  of  it  ourselves  ?  No,  sir- 
ree!  Let  him  dig  up — we're  entitled  to  our  share.' 
Ain't  that  good  logic,  pard?    Your  boss  is  making  a 

206 


THE    LIBERATORS 

barrel  of  money  out  of  something  he  oughtn't  to  have, 
and  he  is  getting  this  something  out  of  votes  they 
oughtn't  to  cast — now,  why  shouldn't  they  get  some 
of  this  money  as  well  as  Ames  ?  You  see,  they're  onto 
their  jobs  and  must  be  paid,  or  the  thing  don't  go.  It's 
like  robbing  a  stage  coach ;  unless  there's  a  fair  division 
among  the  robbers,  everybody  gets  into  trouble.  They 
say  that  these  campaign  contributions  are  a  tribute  to 
their  personality.  If  they  were  not  the  approachable 
gentlemen  they  are  you  wouldn't  want  them  in  the 
legislature,  therefore  you  pay  a  premium  for  their 
particular  breed  to  run  for  office.  Do  you  see?"  And 
Jameson  laughed  a  long,  hearty  laugh. 

Randolph  did  see,  and  he  pressed  his  questions  no 
further.  Henderson  said  he  would  take  care  of  the 
finances.  Under  the  skilful  guidance  of  Henderson  and 
Howard  the  bill  easily  went  through  both  houses  of  the 
Legislature,  and  was  signed  by  the  governor. 

The  day  before  Randolph  was  to  leave,  the  Supreme 
Court  handed  down  a  decision  declaring  the  franchises 
of  all  the  city  utility  companies  perpetual,  and  per- 
manently restraining  all  officials  and  other  persons 
from  interfering  with  them  in  their  legal  operation  of 
the  same. 

Jameson  came  to  the  hotel  to  bid  Randolph  good- 
by :     "Mighty  sorry  you're  goin'  so  soon,  pard.    Wish 

207 


THE    LIBERATORS 

you'd  stay  here  and  be  one  of  us.  If  you  hadn't  so 
many  finicky  notions,  what  a  team  you  and  Howard 
would  make.  Why,  Howard  just  rolls  in  fees.  You 
know  he's  the  head  of  the  lobby  in  the  city  and  State. 
Then  he's  attorney  for  the  gambling  trust  and  the 
saloonkeepers'  organization,  and  they  pay  him  well  to 
keep  them  open  when  they  ought  to  be  closed." 

"How  does  it  happen  that  gambling  is  conducted 
openly  here?"  asked  Randolph. 

"It's  this  way,  pard.  There's  a  trust.  Ten  gam- 
blers entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  mayor  that 
their  places  should  be  the  only  ones  to  remain  open, 
and  in  return  they  agreed  to  pay  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars a  month  to  Howard,  to  be  divided  as  Howard  and 
the  mayor  dictate.  I  know  where  it  goes,  and  I'll  tell 
you,  as  you're  goin'  away  anyhow,  and  you  won't 
peach  c«i  me.  Howard  gets  one  thousand  dollars  a 
month  for  his  services.  The  Echo  gets  one  thousand 
a  month ;  five  thousand  a  month  goes  into  the  corpora- 
tion political  fund  that  is  handled  by  a  committee  of 
one  from  each  city  corporation,  and  the  other  eight 
thousand  is  handled  by  Howard  and  the  mayor  for  a 
'contingent  fund,*  as  they  call  it.  Out  of  the  contin- 
gent fund  all  approachable  officials  are  cared  for. 

"You  see  Howard  and  Irwin,  of  the  rapid-transit 
company,  run  the  whole  machine.   They  nominate  the 

208 


THE    LIBERATORS 

tickets  for  both  political  parties  and  control  all  gpjys 
that  are  elected.  Some  preachers  and  women  tried  to 
close  gamblin'  a  few  weeks  ago.  The  district  at- 
torney wouldn't  have  nothin'  to  do  with  them,  neither 
would  the  chief  of  police  or  the  sheriff,  so  they  filed 
a  petition  in  the  courts.  Six  out  of  the  seven  judges 
were  for  letting  them  go  to — but  t'other  judge  said 
he'd  grant  an  order  to  close  gamblin',  and  he  did,  and 
the  preachers  and  women  were  very  glad.  But  what 
happened?  The  sheriff  and  chief  of  police  reported 
that  it  was  all  'shut  up ;'  but  it  wasn't,  and  Mr.  Judge 
was  fooled  for  his  smartness.  I  tell  you,  we  got  a 
cinch  on  things  here — better  stay  with  us. 

"I  don't  s'pose,"  he  went  on,  "that  Howard  knows 
himself  how  much  he  makes.  The  railroads  and  local 
corporations  all  act  together  in  politics,  and  Howard 
handles  the  money  for  both  parties.  Besides  those 
fellers  I  told  you  about,  the  women  downtown  have  to 
give  up  two  thousand  dollars  a  month,  and  every  dive 
has  to  give  up,  and  there's  fifty  dives  running  under 
respectable  names  like  "Massage"  and  "Manicure," 
Why,  you  know  Howard  is  so  powerful  that  no 
Federal  feller  can  get  a  job  without  him.  He  keeps 
timber  thieves — lumber  barons,  some  of  them,  at  that 
— out  of  the  pen.  Just  last  fall  he  got  a  big  fee  for 
savin'  some  of  these  fellers  from  indictment.     I  went 

209 


THE    LIBERATORS 

down  East  to  collect  the  fee  for  him,  soon  as  the  grand 
jury  adjourned.  Don't  know  how  he  works  it,  but  he 
alius  gets  there.  Of  course  he's  got  an  army  of  fellers 
in  his  employ.  And  they  get  on  grand  juries  and  petit 
juries,  and  he  knows  what's  doin'  all  the  time.  But 
Howard  tells  me  what  he  gets  is  nothin'  compared  to 
what  the  bosses  get  in  the  big  cities  down  East.  Sorry 
you  have  to  go." 

"I  want  to  thank  you  for  your  personal  courtesies 
to  me,"  said  Randolph.  "Remember  your  wife  and 
children,  and  don't  do  anything  that  would  cause  them 
to  be  ashamed  of  you." 

The  tears  stood  in  Jameson's  eyes. 

"That  I  won't,  pard — not  for  the  world." 

Randolph  parted  from  him  with  sincere  regret,  for, 
personally,  he  had  found  in  Jameson  a  warm-hearted, 
generous  man,  who  undoubtedly  was  an  ideal  husband 
and  father.  Randolph  reflected  that  in  political  action 
and  viewpoint  Jameson  accepted  government  conditions 
just  as  Mr.  Ames  accepted  them,  and  neither  of  them 
had  any  appreciation  of  their  disastrous  effect. 

When  Randolph  and  Henderson  arrived  at  the  city 
where  their  gas  franchise  was  pending,  they  found 
the  citizens  wrought  up  over  the  proposition,  and  two 
indignation  meetings  had  already  been  held  to  protest 
against  the  granting  of  the  franchise.     The  citizens 

210 


THE    LIBERATORS 

contended  that  $1.25  per  thousand  cubic  feet  was  an 
exorbitant  charge,  and  they  opposed  granting  a  fran- 
chise for  twenty-five  years,  the  term  sought  by  the 
Ames  company.  Henderson  was  an  adept  at  this  sort 
of  work,  and  soon  discovered  the  weak  spot  in  the 
armor  of  those  carrying  on  the  agitation  against  the 
gas  company,  and  proceeded  to  assail  it. 

He  made  the  proposition  that  the  gas  company 
would  furnish  gas  for  Hghting  purposes  for  the  school 
houses  and  the  library  free  of  charge  during  the  life 
of  the  franchise,  and  would  light  all  city  buildings  and 
churches  at  one  dollar  per  thousand  cubic  feet.  He  al- 
ready had  a  majority  of  the  council  as  well  as  the 
mayor  committed  to  the  franchise,  but  they  wished 
him  to  lighten  the  pressure  on  them  as  much  as  possi- 
ble. By  taking  liberal  advertising  space  in  the  leading 
paper  he  got  it  to  laud  the  generosity  of  the  gas  com- 
pany in  making  such  tremendous  concessions. 

Randolph  was  an  interested  spectator  of  these  pro- 
ceedings, for  he  discovered  that  bribery  was  quite  as 
effective  in  accomplishing  the  overthrow  of  the  in- 
terests of  the  masses  of  the  people  in  high  outsidq 
circles  as  in  the  realms  of  city  councils  and  state  leg- 
islatures, and  he  was  somewhat  startled  at  the  ease 
with  which  the  public  educators  and  the  ministers  of 

211 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  city  were  bribed  into  line  to  sell  the  birthright  of 
the  city  for  a  generation  to  come. 

Henderson  explained  to  him  that  neither  the  school 
houses  nor  churches,  nor  city  buildings,  used  much 
gas  for  lighting  purposes,  and  therefore  the  contribu- 
tion was  a  mere  bagatelle.  "But,"  he  added,  "the  do- 
nation will  appeal  to  the  overpowering  passion  of  peo- 
ple to  take  infinite  pains  and  to  make  many  sacrifices 
to  get  something  (however  little  the  value)  for 
nothing. 

"This  plant,"  said  Henderson,  "is  now  bonded  for 
one  million  dollars  and  capitalized  for  one  million  dol- 
lars. With  a  new  twenty-five-year  franchise,  at  the 
$1.25  rate,  we  can  easily  bond  it  for  six  millions  and 
stock  it  for  five  millions,  and  these  poor  dupes  don't 
see  what  a  debt  they  are  thrusting  on  the  city  for  the 
little  concession  to  them  which  tickles  their  vanity." 

Randolph  was  glad  to  return  to  New  York,  and  de- 
voutly hoped  he  might  be  allowed  to  do  brief-work  in 
the  office  during  the  balance  of  his  year's  stay.  He 
was  profoundly  agitated  over  the  occurrences  of  his 
trip,  and  seriously  concerned  about  the  existence  of 
any  government  where  bribery  ran  so  rampant  and 
class  rule  was  so  complete. 

He  had  heard  much  at  college  and  had  read  much  in 
the  newspapers  and  periodicals  about  municipal  and 

213 


THE  LIBERATORS 
legislative  corruption,  but  he  had  always  supposed  the 
tales  were  exaggerated.  Now  he  realized  that  it  was 
impossible  to  tell  a  quarter  of  the  damnable  and  damn- 
ing influence  of  the  utility  corporations  upon  all  ele- 
ments of  society  in  their  effort  to  use  all  governments 
for  their  own  profit  and  benefit. 

He  saw  clearly  enough  now  that  the  men  who 
would  accept  public  office  as  the  tools  of  these  corpora- 
tions could  easily  enough  be  bribed  or  improperly  in- 
fluenced on  all  questions  of  government,  however  sac- 
red or  important;  and  if  they  would  sell  the  rights  and 
franchises  of  cities,  states  and  nation  to  domestic 
enemies,  why  might  the  time  not  come  when  the  same 
creatures  would  sell  the  rights  and  franchises-  aye, 
the  country's  honor— to  foreign  foes  ? 

He  thought  he  saw  clearly  how  this  system  of  uni- 
versal bribery  was  undermining  and  destroying  all 
honest  work  and  all  honest  effort.  Honest  wages  were 
not  sufficient  when  graft  was  running  rampant  on 
every  hand.  He  recalled  what  Harding  had  told  him 
about  the  difficulty  in  getting  upright  contractors  on 
buildmgs ;  how  a  prominent  builder  had  come  to  Hard- 
ing because,  as  the  lowest  bidder,  he  had  been  awarded 
a  contract  to  do  stone  and  brick  work  on  a  building 
that  Harding  was  architect  for,  and  had  laid  down  two 
thousand  dollars  and  asked  if  that  was  about  right. 

213 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"What  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Harding  in  sur- 
prise. 

"I  mean  your  commission  for  giving  me  this  job," 
rephed  the  contractor.  "I  have  always  been  in  the 
habit  of  paying  architects  for  giving  me  contracts,  and 
I  want  to  know  if  this  is  satisfactory  to  you." 

"Look  here,"  said  Harding,  with  fire  in  his  eye,  "if 
I  had  known  your  character  before  this  contract  was 
awarded,  you  never  would  have  received  the  work.  As 
it  is,  I  will  tell  the  owners  of  the  property  that  you 
will  do  the  work  for  two  thousand  dollars  less  than 
your  bid." 

"No,  I  won't,"  he  replied.  "My  bid  stands.  These 
fees  we  have  always  paid,  for  the  city  officials  set  the 
pace  of  requiring  it  when  we  bid  on  city  work,  and 
why  should  private  persons  refuse  it?" 

Randolph  recalled  what  Professor  Weyman  had 
quoted  to  him  so  many  times  from  John  Stuart  Mill : 
"Education,  habit  and  the  cultivation  of  the  sentiments 
will  make  a  common  man  dig  or  weave  for  his  country 
as  readily  as  fight  for  his  country."  And  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  only  permanent  moral  cure  for  these 
vast  public  ills,  which  were  destroying  the  honesty  and 
virtue  of  the  nation,  was  government  ownership,  with 
the  spirit  of  patriotism  thus  engendered. 

He  knew  that  the  civil  revolution  which  he  had  wit- 

214 


THE    LIBERATORS 

nessed  in  the  West  was  only  an  example  of  what  would 
happen  in  every  state,  if  the  exigencies  of  the  times 
ever  required  utiHty  corporations  to  take  similar  action. 
He  asked  himself  time  and  again  if  there  was  any  way 
by  which  government  regulation  could  stop  these 
abuses ;  but  he  invariably  ended  his  reasoning  with  the 
conviction  that  attempted  government  regulation  would 
lead  into  more  extended  bribery  and  corruption,  with- 
out accomplishing  any  good.  That  the  managers  of  these 
institutions  regarded  regulation  only  as  a  periodical 
craze  of  the  people  that  soon  subsided,  and  thought  that 
all  they  needed  to  do  was  to  bow  their  heads  to  the  storm 
until  it  ceased.  That  was  their  policy  in  the  state  reg- 
ulation craze  of  the  70's,  in  the  national  effort  of  the 
8o's  and  in  the  Roosevelt  era— and  after  each  attempt 
the  people  were  made  to  pay  dearly  for  the  govern- 
ment's temerity.  There  was  no  remedy,  he  thought, 
but  unqualified  government  ownership,  and  if  it  did  not 
come  at  an  early  day  he  could  see  the  spectre  of  red- 
handed  anarchy  and  naked  moral  depravity  stalking 
through  the  land. 

As  these  thoughts  surged  through  his  mind  his 
memory  went  back  to  that  remarkable  letter  which 
Mrs.  Strong  had  written  him  when  he  was  still  at 
Harvard.  Many  times  during  his  Western  trip  the 
closing  paragraph  had  rung  in  his  ears :     'Tf  my  ar- 

215 


THE    LIBERATORS 

raignment  appears  somewhat  strenuous  you  will  par- 
don it,  for  I  am  sure  your  own  feelings  will  be  quite  as 
strong  when  you  have  the  opportunity  closely  to  ob- 
serve existing  political  conditions  for  yourself." 

Were  his  feelings  as  strong?  She  had  been  capable 
of  expressing  her  disgust ;  but  he — well,  mental  nausea 
was  so  complete  that  he  could  find  neither  vocabulary 
nor  grimace  to  represent  it. 

"Wipe  out  feudalism — completely  uproot  it — and 
become  a  republic  in  fact,  as  well  as  in  name."  Yes, 
her  remedy  was  the  correct  one.  But  where  were  the 
people  prepared  for  the  titanic  struggle  necessary  to 
destroy  the  all-powerful,  far-reaching  system  of  Amer- 
ican feudalism,  which  controlled  not  only  all  of  the 
functions  of  government,  but  also  every  commercial 
artery  of  the  nation? 

The  people  of  the  West  were  not  ready  for  such  a 
contest.  That  was  clearly  demonstrated  by  their 
supineness  in  the  civil  revolution  which  he  had  just 
witnessed. 

Preposterous  to  think  that  gold-besotted  New  York 
would  lead  in  destroying  the  temple  of  Mammon ! 

And  yet  .  .  the  French  Revolution  was  started 
in  Paris  by  Parisians — many  of  them  rich  and  influen- 
tial.    Once  or  twice  in  the  past  six  years  New  York 

2l6 


THE    LIBERATORS 

had  reached  a  sublime  plane  of  civic  independence  by 
repudiating  both  of  the  old  poHtical  parties. 

The  greatest  prophet  of  the  world  had  come  out  of 
contemned  Nazareth. 

Sodom  and  Gomorrah  had  demonstrated  the  crystal- 
lizing power  of  wickedness ;  and  since  the  days  of  Lot's 
wife  it  had  been  scientifically  established  that  salt  was 
not  altogether  a  destructive  agent ;  in  fact,  that  human 
life  could  be  prolonged  by  injecting  it  into  the  veins. 
Who  could  tell  ?  Perhaps  the  saving  grace  of  the  Re- 
public might  be  concrete,  condensed,  crystallized  wick- 
edness— forced  into  the  blood  of  the  nation,  and  thus 
arousing  fighting  corpuscles  enough  to  cause  the  peo- 
ple to  shatter  every  pillar  of  the  fane  of  feudalism  and 
to  lay  the  whole  structure  in  the  dust. 

Otherwise — whatever  outrages  might  be  committed 
— he  could  read  in  the  meticulous  faces  of  the  masses 
the  sentiment :  "Don't  disturb  our  civic  sleep.  'To 
merely  bathe  in  Jordan  and  make  yourself  clean  is 
really  too  undignified.'  We  haven't  long  to  live,  any- 
how, and  if  our  children  want  to  be  clean,  let  them  do 
their  own  bathing." 


217 


Chapter  XX. 

Henderson's  successes  in  the  West  had  given  him 
great  prestige  with  Mr.  Ames  and  Judge  Dal- 
rymple,  while  Randolph's  scruples  had  done  him  much 
harm  in  the  estimation  of  both. 

Mr.  Ames  was  quite  pronounced  in  his  partiality  for 
Henderson,  while  Randolph  felt  a  corresponding  chill 
in  Mr.  Ames's  treatment  of  him.  He  was  still  a  great 
favorite  with  Mrs.  Ames  and  with  Virginia ;  but  he  felt 
ill  at  ease  in  the  Ames  household  when  Mr.  Ames  was 
present,  and  a  pall  of  pending  disaster  seemed  to  over- 
hang him  when  there.  He  derived  greater  comfort  than 
ever  from  the  Hardings,  and  sought  them  continually 
when  discouraged  or  troubled.  He  and  Spencer  Hard- 
ing became  fast  friends  and  confidants,  and  agreed  in 
their  ultimate  conclusions  on  popular  government. 

The  movement  for  the  overthrow  of  feudalism  in 
America  had  been  making  great  headway  in  New  York 
City  for  two  years,  and  a  powerful  organization  called 
the  People's  Alliance  had  grown  up  and  had  enrolled 
a  membership  of  over  fifty  thousand.  Randolph  and 
Harding  attended  many  of  the  public  meetings  of  the 
Alliance,  and  Randolph  obtained  from  the  secretary 
copies  of  their  leading  tracts  and  books. 

218 


THE    LIBERATORS 

'At  one  of  those  meetings  he  was  surprised  to  see 
Henderson,  and  wondered  what  he  could  be  doing 
there.  The  next  morning  Judge  Dalrymple  called  him 
into  his  private  office  and  said : 

"I  understand  you  are  attending  the  meetings  of  the 
People's  Alliance.  We  would  prefer  that  you  should 
not  do  so.  Understand  me,  I  do  not  wish  to  suggest 
a  line  of  conduct  for  you  while  you  are  off  duty,  but 
the  Alliance  is  making  such  headway  with  the  people 
and  it  is  so  antagonistic  to  our  interests  that  others 
might  be  influenced  to  join  by  your  attending  the  meet- 
ings. Then  you  know  their  newspapers  are  very 
enthusiastic,  and  they  might  make  a  point  that  we  are 
weakening  if  they  saw  you  there  too  often.  I  sent 
Henderson  around  last  night  to  see  what  progress 
they  were  making,  but  he  only  stayed  a  few  minutes." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  answered  Randolph. 

About  this  time  Randolph  was  sent  to  Washington 
to  look  up  several  important  matters  and  to  overhaul 
some  old  land  documents  in  the  archives  of  the  Inte- 
rior Department  and  in  the  Supreme  Court  files.  His 
mission  kept  him  there  several  weeks,  but  the  employ- 
ment was  congenial  and  he  enjoyed  his  stay. 

He  had  gone  into  the  visitors'  gallery  of  the  House 
to  listen  to  the  debate  on  two  or  three  matters,  which 
he  thought  might  be  interesting ;  but  he  heard  nothing 

219 


THE    LIBERATORS 

but  the  dreary  nasal  driveling  of  a  few  mediocre 
speakers,  who  were  evidently  talking  under  orders.  He 
left  in  disgust  that  the  halls  which  had  once  harbored 
Clay,  Webster,  Lincoln,  Douglas,  Blaine,  Conkling  and 
Garfield  should  be  filled  with  such  a  drooling  lot  of 
political  nonentities  that  one  had  to  consult  a  Con- 
gressional directory  to  find  out  who  most  of  them  were. 
He  already  knew  by  reputation  the  few  distinguished 
exceptions,  and  he  soon  discoyered  how  the  rules  of 
the  House  were  used  to  prevent  those  members  from 
being  heard  on  important  occasions. 

In  the  Senate  he  found  more  ability,  and  some  real 
oratory ;  but  with  these  men  also  there  was  the  evident 
spirit  of  acting  under  the  orders  of  some  unseen 
power. 

A  bill  was  offered  in  the  House  to  restrict  immigra- 
tion. It  provided  that  the  health  regulations  should 
be  more  stringent,  that  the  men  must  certify  to  addi- 
tional facts  showing  them  fit  for  some  useful  employ- 
ment, and  that  their  previous  record  as  peaceable,  law- 
abiding,  temperate  and  industrious  citizens  should  be 
competently  vouched  for. 

Randolph  knew  that  for  years  all  efforts  effec- 
tively to  restrict  immigration  had  been  futile,  and  he 
thought  the  debate  upon  the  pending  bill  might  be 
useful ;  so  on  the  day  set  for  discussion  he  betook  him- 

220 


THE    LIBERATORS 

self  to  the  gallery  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
When  he  entered  the  east  door  of  the  Capitol  he  saw 
that  the  rotundas  and  hallways  were  alive  with  lobby- 
ists. He  was  told  that  most  of  them  represented  the 
steamship  lines,  and  he  was  informed  that  one  of  the 
most  powerful  lobbies  in  Washington  was  the  steam- 
ship lobby,  and  that  no  bill  which  that  lobby  opposed 
had  ever  passed  Congress.  But  he  soon  saw  the 
familiar  faces  of  the  railroad  lobby  also,  and  presently 
he  came  unexpectedly  upon  Henderson. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  asked  Randolph. 

"Oh,  I  came  over  on  the  immigration  bill." 

"But  how  can  Mr.  Ames  possibly  be  interested  in 
that  measure?" 

"Why,  Randolph,  one  would  think  you  knew  noth- 
ing about  the  railway  business !  Don't  you  suppose  it 
matters  to  us  whether  the  immigration  from  Europe  is 
a  few  hundred  thousand  more,  or  a  few  hundred  tliou- 
sand  less  each  year?  Most  assuredly  we  are  inter- 
ested in  carrying  all  of  these  people  we  can  to  the 
West,  and  we  cannot  afford  to  have  the  pending  bill 
become  a  law.  And  it  will  not,  either,"  added  Hen- 
derson, with  a  knowing  look. 

Randolph  proceeded  to  the  gallery  and  obtained  a 
good  seat,  to  see  and  hear  everything  that  might  take 
place. 

221 


THE    LIBERATORS 

As  soon  as  the  routine  business  was  completed,  the 
Speaker  recognized  Mr.  BrowHng,  from  a  Western 
district,  the  author  of  the  immigration  bill. 

He  was  a  little,  stoop-shouldered  man,  with  a  sallow 
complexion,  dull  blue  eyes,  a  goatee  of  a  singed  bay 
color,  with  hair  to  match.  He  was  a  lawyer  by  profes- 
sion, and  quite  early  in  his  career  had  sought  a  position 
with  the  Ames  road  in  his  State.  Henderson  had  un- 
doubtedly seen  him  recently,  for  he  stated  to  the  House 
that  for  many  personal  and  public  reasons  he  would  like 
the  bill  referred  to  the  Judiciary  Committee  to  examine 
into  the  legality  of  its  provisions  before  it  was  pre- 
sented for  discussion. 

The  House  was  in  an  accommodating  mood  and  the 
bill  was  promptly  so  referred,  and  Randolph  once  more 
left  in  disgust.  The  bill  was  never  heard  of  again  in 
the  deliberations  of  that  Congress. 

A  real  clap  of  diplomatic  thunder  came  out  of  the 
clear  sky  a  few  days  after  this. 

The  State  Department  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment came  into  possession  of  some  secret  correspond- 
ence of  the  German  government  with  the  government 
of  Venezuela,  which  developed  the  fact  that  Germany 
had  arranged  for  a  coaling  station  and  naval  base  on 
the  coast  of  Venezuela,  and  had  purchased  from  Vene- 
zuela a  large  tract  of  land  and  a  splendid  harbor  for 

222 


THE    LIBERATORS 

commercial  purposes,  over  which  Germany  proposed 
to  exercise  exclusive  sovereignty.  One  of  the  letters 
contained  the  assurance  of  the  German  government 
that  Venezuela  need  have  no  fear  of  violating  the 
Monroe  Doctrine,  as  Germany  would  take  care  of  the 
United  States  in  that  direction. 

The  facts  had  got  into  the  public  press,  and  the 
whole  country  was  aroused.  A  joint  resolution  was 
introduced  in  the  House,  reciting  the  allegiance  of  the 
!Ajmerican  people  to  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  and  serving 
notice  upon  the  world  that  any  attempt  to  violate  that 
doctrine  in  letter  or  spirit  would  be  met  with  armed 
resistance. 

It  transpired  that  for  several  months  previous  to 
this  time  Wall  Street  brokers  had  been  selling  large 
quantities  of  American  stocks  in  Germany  at  very 
heavy  valuations.  For  two  years  the  kings  of  Wall 
Street  finance  had  been  carrying  that  market  on  their 
own  shoulders,  and  with  grim  determination  they  had 
forced  up  the  value  of  all  stocks,  and  had  put  on  the 
sturdy  and  opulent  face  of  prosperity  so  long  that  they 
had  finally  convinced  the  world  that  their  stocks 
were  really  worth  their  quoted  value.  The  day  of 
relief  from  the  tremendous  strain  that  would  have 
sent  every  Wall  Street  financier  into  bankruptcy  in 
another  three  months  came  when  the  German  people 

22T, 


THE    LIBERATORS 

began  to  buy  Wall  Street  stocks  in  large  blocks.  If 
this  buying  were  to  cease  appalling  disaster  awaited 
Wall  Street.  It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the 
biggest  railroad  lobby  seen  in  years  appeared  at  the 
Capitol  the  next  day.  Their  powerful  appeal  had  also 
enlisted  the  service  of  the  steamship  lobby,  and 
together  they  laid  their  plans  to  prevent  the  adoption 
of  the  pending  resolution.  Through  parliamentary 
manoeuvering  they  forced  its  consideration  over  two 
days.  When  the  day  came  for  its  final  consideration 
the  galleries  and  floor  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives were  packed,  as  were  also  the  corridors  of  the 
Capitol  out  to  the  steps  of  the  east  front.  Public 
feeling  was  intense.  The  air  around  the  Capitol,  ex- 
cept among  the  members  of  the  House,  was  surcharged 
with  patriotism.  The  author  of  the  resolution  took  the 
floor  to  make  a  speech.  He  was  told  by  the  Speaker 
that  the  Committee  on  Rules  had  reported  that  all 
speeches  should  be  limited  to  five  minutes,  and  that  no 
member  should  yield  his  time  to  any  other  member. 
The  mover  of  the  resolution,  a  member  from  New 
York  City,  said  that  when  he  offered  his  resolution  he 
thought  the  country  was  confronted  by  a  serious 
crisis;  that  it  had  been  subjected  to  a  humiliating 
insult ;  that  its  ancient  policies  and  tradition  had  been 
spat  upon  by  a  foreign  potentate,  and  that  we  had 

224 


THE    LIBERATORS 

left  only  the  duty  of  rebuking  such  presumption  and 
declaring  for  our  time-honored  pohcies.  But  during 
the  past  few  days  he  had  given  the  matter  serious  con- 
sideration, and  he  had  concluded  that  none  of  our 
rights  were  openly  jeopardized;  that  perhaps  we  were 
making  mountains  out  of  mole  hills,  and  until  we  had 
further  light  upon  the  subject  he  was  not  in  favor 
of  pressing  his  resolution,  and  asked  to  have  it  indefi- 
nitely postponed. 

Several  similar  speeches  were  made  by  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  House.  Only  two  speeches  were  made  in 
favor  of  the  resolution,  and  its  further  consideration 
was  indefinitely  postponed. 

That  portion  of  the  press  of  the  country  which  was 
owned  or  controlled  by  the  utility  corporations,  and 
such  newspapers  had  multiplied  very  rapidly  during 
the  past  two  years,  approved  of  the  action  in  the  inter- 
ests of  peace  and  good  will.  The  independent  press 
denounced  it  as  base  and  ignoble  cowardice,  taken  at 
the  dictation  of  Wall  Street,  and  called  upon  the 
people  of  the  country  to  overthrow  government  by 
barons  of  the  trusts  and  to  assume  the  reins  them- 
selves. 

One  fearless  New  York  paper  said : 

"No  such  allegiance  was  ever  exacted  by  the  most 
powerful  Feudal  lords  or  dukes  as  the  railway  and 

225 


THE    LIBERATORS 

trust  barons  exacted  from  their  vassals,  the  members  of 
Congress,  when  they  compelled  them  to  vote  the  United 
States  a  cowardly  and  cringing  nation,  and  our  people 
serfs  who  have  not  spirit  enough  to  resent  a  foreign 
insult.  Under  the  old  Feudal  system  the  forms,  at 
least,  of  respect  were  maintained  for  the  monarch,  but 
under  our  modern  Feudal  system  the  barons  boldly 
say,  'We  are  the  monarch  and  the  government,  our  will 
is  the  law  of  the  land,  our  interests  must  gauge  the 
standard  of  patriotism  and  our  wishes  must  in  all  mat- 
ters be  obeyed.' 

"How  long  will  the  people  stand  this  sort  of  rule, 
and  how  long  will  they  permit  a  lot  of  weak  and  cor- 
rupt political  menials  to  dishonor  the  halls  of  Congress  ? 
There  will  soon  be  a  great  awakening,  and  perhaps  this 
occurrence,  while  now  a  source  of  humiliation  to  every 
honest  citizen,  may  be  the  trumpet  call  to  action  by  the 
people  who  have  allowed  even  the  forms  of  popular 
government  to  be  extinguished." 

The  prophecy  was  to  come  true,  and  this  occur- 
rence did  mark  the  beginning  of  the  final  titanic  strug- 
gle for  mastery  between  the  people  and  the  barons. 

That  evening  Randolph  sent  his  written  resignation 
to  the  firm  of  Dalrymple  &  Ames.  A  dozen  times  he 
tried  to  write  to  the  elder  Ames,  but  he  felt  the  futility 
of  any  appeal  in  that  direction.     He  could  not  even 

226 


THE    LIBERATORS 

assume  that  Mr.  Ames  was  not  thoroughly  conver- 
sant with  every  infamous  detail.  Finally  he  wrote  him 
a  few  lines  of  regret  that  the  parting  of  the  ways  had 
come,  and  expressed  his  appreciation  of  the  many  kind- 
nesses which  he  had  received  from  him  and  his 
family. 

To  Frederic  he  wrote  freely,  for  in  spite  of  wide 
differences  of  viewpoint  and  temperament,  there  was 
a  very  warm  friendship  between  the  two  young  men. 
At  times  Randolph  had  fancied  that  Frederic  was  a 
little  restive,  and  not  in  perfect  accord  with  the  pro- 
gram laid  down  by  his  father. 

"I  would  be  unfit  to  hold  my  head  aloft  on  the 
street  if  I  did  not  take  this  action,"  he  wrote  Frederic. 
"Perhaps  I  could  have  stood  somewhat  more  of  domes- 
tic wrong  and  internal  treachery,  though  I  had  almost 
reached  the  limit  of  that;  but  when  our  beloved  coun- 
try, with  its  splendid  record  of  achievement  and 
sacrifice,  of  devotion  and  bravery,  is  humiliated  before 
the  entire  world  (for  barbarous  as  well  as  civilized 
races  cannot  but  despise  our  cowardice  and  weak- 
ness) at  the  dictation  of  those  who  are  temporarily 
vested  with  power  through  long  years  of  favoritism  on 
the  part  of  that  very  government  which  they  would 
now  so  cravenly  destroy,  neither  I  nor  any  other 
patriotic  man  can  rest  until  this  great  humiliation  is 

227 


THE    LIBERATORS 

erased  from  the  history  of  our  country.  Every  de- 
partment of  every  township,  city,  county,  state  and 
national  government  must  be  wrested  from  the  with- 
ering and  corrupting  rule  of  those  who  to-day  have 
shown  themselves  to  be  not  only  the  despoilers  of 
public  honor,  but  absolute  public  enemies.  The  differ- 
ences between  your  father's  convictions  and  mine  are 
fundamental  and  not  to  be  compromised. 

"Perhaps  I  am  foolish,  wrong-headed,  obstinate; 
yet  I  cannot  do  otherwise  than  cling  to  Lincoln's 
words,  and  pray  for  courage  to  'do  the  right  as  God 
gives  me  to  see  the  right.' 

"You,  Frederic,  are  a  young  man.  I  cannot  believe 
that  this  infernal  system  has  entirely  taken  possession 
of  you,  or  that  you  are  deaf  and  blind  to  the  results 
upon  our  common  country.  I  entreat  you  to  think 
long  and  seriously  of  the  duties  which  your  almost 
unlimited  power  entails  upon  you.  The  power  pos- 
sessed by  your  father,  and  which  will  come  to  you,  is 
almost  enough  to  avail  for  the  saving  of  the  nation, 
just  as  one  or  two  decades  more  like  the  last  will 
bring  it  to  the  verge  of  ruin  and  anarchy. 

"It  is  probable  that  your  father  will  wish  that  I 
should  have  no  further  communication  with  his 
family.  In  that  case  he  may  be  assured  that  I 
shall  not  intrude  myself  upon  them  at  your  own  home 

228 


THE    LIBERATORS 

or  elsewhere.  Will  you  lay  all  this  before  your  sister 
Virginia?  I  cannot  write  her  without  strictures  upon 
this  system,  which,  under  the  circumstances,  would  be, 
or  so  it  seems  to  me,  lacking  in  respect  to  her  father. 
I  think  she  understands  my  unswerving  devotion,  but 
surely  this  is  not  the  time  to  avow  it.  I  can  only 
seek  to  be  worthy  of  her,  and  if  at  any  time  in  the 
future " 

Randolph's  eyes  were  blinded  for  a  moment.  He 
had  relinquished  success  and  wealth  without  a  pang, 
but  his  heart  was  heavy.  All  the  rest  was  a  mere 
bagatelle,  but  "The  light  of  a  whole  life  dies  when 
love  is  done." 

He  signed  the  unfinished  letter,  thrust  it  into  an 
envelope  and  mailed  it  with  the  other  two  on  his  way 
to  the  midnight  train  for  Boston. 


229 


Chapter  XXI. 

Randolph  went  straight  to  Professor  We>Tnan's 
house  and  laid  the  whole  situation  before  him.  He 
spared  none  of  the  details,  and  as  he  lived  over  again 
the  scenes  he  had  recently  witnessed  in  Congress  he 
walked  the  floor  in  uncontrollable  wrath  and  indigna- 
tion, 

"You  know  about  it  from  the  papers,"  he  said  hotly, 
"only  no  paper  has  dared  print  all  the  infamy  of  it. 
They  attack  the  members  of  the  Senate  and  House, 
but  they  are  nothing  but  tools — blunt  ones  at  that,  half 
of  them.  The  real  knaves  and  villains  are  their  mas- 
ters whose  bidding  they  do,  while  they  are  sworn  to 
protect  the  rights  of  the  people  and  the  honor  of  the 
nation.  I  tell  you  there  are  men  held  in  honor  in  this 
country  beside  whom  Judas  Iscariot  is  a  saint,  and 
Benedict  Arnold  a  patriot.  And  what  do  they  do  it 
for?  Ambition  for  glory ?  No.  Not  one  of  them  has 
personal  ambitions ;  not  one  of  them  sighs  to  become 
a  Napoleon  of  anything  save  finance.  Not  one  of  them 
would  care  to  be  autocrat  or  emperor.  The  only  power 
they  recognize  or  desire  is  the  power  of  money.  On 
that  one  subject  they  are  mad." 

230 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Well,"  said  the  professor,  "what  are  you  going  to 
do  about  it?" 

"Do?"  answered  Randolph.  "I  don't  know  what  I 
am  going  to  do  about  the  system ;  but  so  far  as  I  am 
personally  concerned,  I  am  not  going  to  try  to  serve 
God  and  Mammon  any  longer.  My  resignation  is  in 
the  hands  of  my  superiors  now,  and  it  will  be  ac- 
cepted." 

"Then  the  first  question,  after  all,"  said  the  profes- 
sor, "is  what  you  are  going  to  do  about  yourself." 

The  young  man  sat  down  by  the  long  littered  table, 
and  ran  his  hands  through  his  hair,  just  as  he  had 
done  many  a  time  in  the  perplexities  of  his  college 
career.  The  excitement  of  the  long  battle  was  dying 
away,  and  he  was  facing  the  future  with  clear  eyes 
and  a  tolerable  comprehension  of  the  difficulties  be- 
fore him. 

"Well,  my  boy,"  said  the  old  man,  after  a  long 
silence,  "what  have  you  decided  upon?" 

"Nothing,"  he  answered.  "The  question  in  my  mind 
is  whether  I  am  strong  enough  to  stand  alone  and  win 
against  the  obstacles  that  will  arise  in  my  path." 

"Do  you  think  Ames  will  try  to  crush  you  ?" 

"I  don't  know — I  hardly  think  so.  I'm  scarcely 
worth  his  while,  but  the  fact  that  I  am  no  longer  as- 
sociated with  his  interests  will  naturally  count  against 

231 


THE    LIBERATORS 

me.  Few  men  will  believe  that  I  have  voluntarily  re- 
linquished what  meant  a  fortune.  They  are  much  more 
likely  to  think  I  was  incompetent.  The  kindest  thing 
that  Mr.  Ames  can  say  of  me,  from  his  standpoint,  is 
that  I  am  a  dreamer,  an  unpractical  theorist,  and  that 
would  damn  me  in  a  business  way  a  hundred  times 
more  quickly  than  if  he  said  I  was  an  unprincipled 
schemer.  If  he  said  that,  a  dozen  openings  would  be 
offered  me,  because  it  would  be  taken  for  granted  that 
I  had  been  shrewd  enough  to  outwit  and  get  the  better 
of  him  at  some  point." 

"You  are  not  straitened  for  means?"  asked  the 
professor,  kindly.  "This  last  year  you  have  been  liv- 
ing in  an  expensive  set,  but  I  hope  you  are  not  in 
debt." 

"No,"  answered  Randolph,  "I  have  lived  well  within 
my  means ;  and  while,  compared  to  the  Ames  contin- 
gent, I  am  only  two  removes  from  the  poorhouse,  I 
have  enough  to  live  on  for  a  year  without  going  in 
debt,  or  making  a  dollar.  I  can  take  a  decent  office 
and  fit  it  up  and  wait  for  business,  but  I  cannot  go  out 
and  seek  it.    Do  you  think  it  will  come  to  me?" 

He  asked  the  question  almost  wistfully,  with  the 
boyish,  upward  glance  which  had  always  appealed  so 
strongly  to  his  instructor.    The  professor  took  off  his 

232 


THE    LIBERATORS 

glasses  and  wiped  them  deliberately,  then  readjusting 
them,  looked  across  the  table  at  the  strong,  earnest 
face  before  him,  lined  and  aged  just  now  with  the 
conflict  of  emotions  and  sleepless  nights. 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  "I  think  so.  I  rather  imagine 
that  you  will  not  starve  to  death.  But  I  warn  you 
that  you  will  find  in  Ames  an  implacable  enemy,  quite 
willing  to  take  the  time  necessary  to  crush  even  such 
an  insignificant  young  man  as  you  are.  You  will  find 
that  some  who  have  been  your  friends,  apparently, 
will  be  so  no  longer;  but  you  must  be  on  your  guard, 
especially  in  those  places  where  you  have  the  least 
reason  to  suspect  hostility.  Have  you  ever  thought 
of  going  into  some  other  firm  where  your  position 
would  be  somewhat  more  assured  than  if  you  face  the 
fight  alone?" 

"Yes,  I  have  thought  of  it,"  Randolph  answered. 
"Some  time  ago  Spencer  Harding,  the  architect, 
who  is  a  good  friend  of  mine,  suggested  that  if  I 
should  grow  dissatisfied  where  I  was,  he  knew  of  at 
least  one  place  where  there  would  be  no  trouble  in  my 
finding  congenial  work,  and  possibly  there  are  others ; 
but  this  last  year  has  made  me  impatient  of  entangling 
alliances.  It  seems  to  me  I'd  rather  try  it  alone  for  a 
while,  but  this  may  be  presumptuous.  There  has  been 
nothing  in  this  past  year  to  make  me  feel  that  I  can 

2ZZ 


THE    LIBERATORS 

count  upon  success.  I  have  failed  signally  enough  in 
most  of  the  work  that  has  been  cut  out  for  me.  It 
was  mainly  about  this  that  I  wanted  to  consult  you." 

The  professor's  lip  curled  in  a  smile.  "I  should 
think  you  might  feel  a  little  pardonable  vanity  in 
your  prowess  during  the  past  year,"  he  said,  with 
gentle  sarcasm.  "Your  failures,  as  you  call  them,  were 
moral  successes.  In  spite  of  every  possible  inducement 
that  could  be  thrown  in  your  way,  you  have  steadfastly 
refused  to  become  a  scoundrel.  With  both  precept  and 
example  before  you,  among  those  you  have  been  bred 
to  respect,  you  have  refused  the  primrose  path  and  re- 
mained a  simple,  straightforward,  honest  man.  I  think 
there  may  be  room  for  a  few  such  in  New  York  City." 

The  professor  walked  to  the  study  window  and  stood 
looking  out  intently.  "Come  here,  George,"  he  said, 
presently.    "Tell  me,  what  do  you  see  ?" 

"The  Washington  elm,"  answered  the  young  man, 
"and,  of  course,  Washington's  old  headquarters." 

"Yes,"  said  the  professor,  "Washington's  headquar- 
ters when  he  was  fighting  for  a  chance  for  this  country 
of  ours  to  exist,  a  free  and  independent  nation.  Don't 
you  think  it's  worth  our  while,  if  it  was  worth  his? 
Washington  had  never  seen  the  Mississippi,  or  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  or  a  redwood.  But,  strange  as  it  may 
seem  to  vou,  I  wasn't  thinking  of  Washington,  as  I 

234 


THE    LIBERATORS 

looked  over  at  the  elm  and  the  house,  but  of  a  very 
dear  old  friend  of  mine  who  lived  and  died  there.  He 
isn't  the  fashion  now,  except  for  school  children;  yet 
I  hardly  know  a  poet  who  has  said  so  many  brave,  true, 
helpful  things.    I  was  recalling  this  stanza  of  his : 

"  'Nor  deem  the  irrevocable  Past 
Wholly  wasted,  wholly  vain. 
If,  rising  on  its  wrecks,  at  last 
To  something  nobler  we  attain.' " 


235 


Chapter  XXill. 

Youth  is  heroic.  Even  "the  cold  gray  dawn  of  the 
morning  after"  cannot  dampen  its  ardor.  Randolph  took 
the  boat  to  New  York,  and  slept  contentedly,  lulled  by 
the  waves  and  the  calm  of  the  quiet  and  beautiful 
night.  Possibly  he  might  have  been  more  uneasy  if 
he  had  ever  known  the  anxieties  of  a  long,  hard,  up- 
hill road,  hampered  for  means,  and  handicapped  by 
secret  and  malign  influences.  He  had  this  yet  to  learn. 
For  the  immediate  present  he  had  enough.  He  had 
thought  of  giving  up  his  modest  apartment  and  seek- 
ing some  less  expensive  manner  of  living,  but  decided 
against  this.  He  had  never  been  extravagant,  and,  as 
he  had  reflected  wisely,  it  was  altogether  likely  that 
he  would  be  thrown  far  more  upon  his  own  inner 
resources  than  ever  before.  The  Ames  set  would  drop 
him — of  this  he  felt  certain ;  but  with  the  cutting  off 
of  his  salary  went  a  good  many  expenses  that  he 
would  no  longer  be  called  upon  to  meet.  He  had  a 
small  income  from  his  father's  estate,  and  could 
weather  the  storm  for  a  time    at  least. 

For  the  first  few  days  Randolph  was  very  busy.  He 
rented  a  suite  of  rooms  in  the  Broadway  Chambers  and 

236 


THE    LIBERATORS 

fitted  them  up.  They  were  directly  across  the  street 
from  the  Ames  offices,  which  were  in  the  new  building 
erected  the  year  before.  He  knew  at  least  a  dozen 
lawyers  in  the  Chambers,  and  was  on  very  friendly 
terms  with  several  of  them.  It  so  happened  that  on 
the  morning  when  he  superintended  the  removal  of 
his  effects  from  the  office  of  Dalrymple  &  Ames  only 
the  clerks  and  stenographers  were  present.  He  had 
hoped  that  Frederic  might  be  there,  or  that  he  might 
seek  him ;  but  at  the  end  of  his  first  week  alone  he  had 
heard  nothing  from  his  old  college  mate. 

The  young  man  felt  indescribably  lonely  as  he  sat 
down  that  Saturday  night  in  his  study  and  tried  to 
while  away  the  time  with  a  book.  The  Hardings  were 
out  of  town,  or  he  would  have  gone  to  see  them. 
Mrs.  Strong  was  still  in  Europe.  There  was  a  warm 
rain  falling,  and  the  air  was  heavy.  The  loneliness  of 
the  vast  city  oppressed  him,  the  blank  future  threatened 
him,  the  silence  of  those  he  most  loved  weighed  upon 
his  heart,  and  a  deadly  nostalgia  overcame  him  for  the 
scent  of  the  harvest  fields  and  the  sight  of  the  blue  sky 
above  a  peaceful  horizon  of  trees  and  plain.  He  arose, 
and  throwing  off  his  coat,  walked  up  and  down  in  the 
dimly  lighted  room.  It  was  nearly  nine  o'clock  when 
he  heard  a  quick,  light  step  in  the  hall,  and  his  bell 
rang.    He  opened  the  door  himself,  and  Frederic  Ames 

237 


THE    LIBERATORS 

walked  in,  shaking  the  drops  from  his  raincoat,  and 
exclaiming  cheerfully : 

"I  have  just  received  your  letter  and  I  come  at  once. 
In  the  morning  I  shall  return  with  one  or  two  brain 
specialists,  but  just  as  an  evidence  of  good  faith  I 
thought  I  would  look  in  on  you  first  myself.  Seriously, 
old  man,"  he  went  on,  "we,  the  mater,  the  girls  and  I, 
went  down  to  Newport  last  week,  and  the  Channings 
have  had  us  out  on  their  yacht  nearly  all  this  week. 
The  girls  are  still  at  the  beach,  but  Mother  and  I  came 
up  this  afternoon.  I  found  your  letter  with  the  rest 
of  the  mail,  and  here  I  am.  You  might  at  least  ask 
me  to  sit  down,  or  is  that  one  of  the  amenities  of  life 
that  is  left  out  of  the  socialist  program  ?" 

For  a  moment  George  had  been  so  surprised  and 
overjoyed  that  he  stood  dumbly  looking  at  his  friend. 
Now  he  shook  his  hand,  removed  his  overcoat,  and 
pushing  Frederic's  favorite  chair  toward  the  light,  got 
down  pipes  and  tobacco  and  the  decanter. 

"Help  yourself,"  he  said,  "and  be  as  comfortable  as 
you  can.  I  hope  you  have  come  to  stay  a  long  time, 
for  I  am  horribly  lonesome.  It  seems  to  me  six 
months  since  I've  seen  you." 

"It  seems  more  than  that,"  said  Frederic  sadly,  "it 
must  be  at  least  a  year — from  all  that  has  happened. 
You  couldn't  get  so  far  wrong  in  less  than  that  time. 

238 


THE    LIBERATORS 

George,  George,  how  often  have  I  told  you  where  you 
were  going  to  land  with  all  your  fine-spun  theories,  by 
which  the  entire  nation  is  to  eat  turnips  on  Tuesdays 
and  cabbage  on  Fridays !  And  now  you've  done  it — 
kicked  clear  over  the  traces,  thrown  away  such  an 
opportunity  as  rarely  comes  to  the  most  fortunate. 
Man  alive,  I  don't  wonder  Father  is  raging  around — 
not  so  much  on  account  of  this  last  action  of  yours  as 
to  think  that  for  a  year  past  he  has  been  in  the  house 
over  and  over  again  with  a  dangerous  lunatic.  Do  you 
find  the  attacks  increase  in  frequency,  or  only  in 
severity  ?" 

Frederic  reached  over  as  if  to  feel  his  pulse,  but  took 
his  hand  instead.  George  returned  the  grip,  but  with- 
out speaking.  For  the  moment  the  strong,  hearty 
handclasp  aroused  emotions  in  him  past  the  power  of 
words. 

Frederic  went  on,  half  lightly,  half  seriously.  "I've 
seen  it  coming  for  a  long  time,  George.  I  used  to 
watch  you  in  the  class  sometimes  and  fancy  that  I 
could  imagine  you  leading  the  last  charge  of  a  lost 
cause." 

"Just  hold  on  for  a  few  years,"  Randolph  answered 
— "it  will  be  very  few — and  you  may  see  me  head  the 
first  charge  of  a  new  cause.     It's  bound  to  come." 

"What's  bound  to  come?     Government  ownership, 

239 


THE    LIBERATORS 

war  with  Germany,  or  'perfect  virtue  dealt  out  with 
the  soup  at  six?'"  Frederic  asked.  "Or  perhaps  it  is 
the  class  struggle  that  you  are  talking  about." 

"No,"  replied  Randolph,  "that  came  long  since,  and 
if  the  people  of  this  country  ever  wake  to  class  con- 
sciousness, may  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon " 

"Some  of  your  best  friends,"  interposed  Frederic. 
"Fm  sure  I  hope  He  will.  And  if  you  are  leading  the 
red-shirted,  scarlet-bannered  host,  Fll  appreciate  it  if 
you'll  lead  'em  around  the  other  way.  But  can't  you 
see  the  folly  of  it?  The  very  idea  of  giving  more 
rights  and  greater  powers  to  these  people  than  they 
have,  when  you  yourself  hint  darkly  that  the  first  thing 
they  will  do  will  be  to  set  the  guillotine  a-going  to 
inaugurate  a  reign  of  terror!  My  dear  chap,  these 
people  get  all  they  are  fit  for.  That's  where  you 
socialists  are  so  completely  wrong;  only  the  extremely 
intelligent  and  the  purest  of  patriots  are  ready  for 
your  program,  and  you  want  to  force  it  on  the  great 
unwashed,  who  don't  know  whether  Lassalle  was  a 
man  or  a  vegetable." 

"Your  badinage  is  all  right,  but  you  know  I  am 
no  more  of  a  revolutionary  socialist  than  you  are.  I  do 
believe  in  honest  government,  though,  and  this  cannot 
be  had  with  many  of  the  principal  functions  of  govern- 
ment farmed  out  for  speculative  purposes  to  private 

240 


THE    LIBERATORS 

individuals  and  private  corporations,"  answered  Ran- 
dolph hotly. 

"It  doesn't  follow,"  he  went  on,  "that  I  want  to 
inaugurate  a  Marxian  democracy,  because  I  wish  to 
get  back  the  rights  given  to  the  people  by  our  consti- 
tutional convention.  But  I  will  tell  you  one  thing,  the 
only  way  to  prevent  the  spread  of  revolutionary  social- 
ism is  to  get  back  to  our  original  principles.  As  to  the 
power  of  the  people,  you  know  that  is  buncombe. 
These  people  have  the  ballot;  but  of  what 'avail  is  it, 
when  they  have  nothing  to  say  as  to  their  nominees; 
and  even  when  they  elect  men  whom  they  have  every 
reason  to  believe  honest,  such  officials  are  besieged 
night  and  day  by  the  forces  of  corruption.  Do  you 
think  Congress  does  the  will  of  the  people?  Of  which 
people?  Surely  not  of  those  that  elect  them.  You  do 
not  maintain  a  lobby  at  Washington  on  purpose  to  se- 
cure the  passage  of  the  laws  that  the  people  of  this 
country  are  clamoring  for;  even  you  will  hardly  go  so 
far  as  to  claim  that." 

Frederic  colored.  "No,"  he  admitted.  "But  then, 
on  the  other  hand,  you  must  acknowledge  that  the 
general  public  is  not  much  posted  on  broad  business 
principles.  The  people  do  not  understand  the  laws  of 
supply  and  demand.  Nobody  is  really  competent  to 
understand — say,  the  railroad  business — without  long 

241 


THE    LIBERATORS 

special  training.  What  would  this  country  be  without 
its  railways?" 

"Oh,  well,  that  works  both  ways,"  Randolph 
answered.  "The  railways  were  not  built  from  purely 
philanthropic  motives.  They  have  opened  up  this 
country,  and  enormously  increased  its  resources.  They 
and  the  steamship  lines  have  combined  also  to  bring 
into  this  country  the  metaphorically  lame,  halt  and 
blind  of  the  world.  That  isn't  because  of  their  sym- 
pathy for  the  oppressed  elsewhere,  either.  No  one  can 
overestimate  the  good  they  have  done ;  but  they  are  not 
conducted  as  associated  charities  for  the  relief  of  the 
people,  and  they  have  enriched  their  owners  far  more 
than  they  have  enriched  the  country,  when  you  con- 
sider the  face  value  of  the  investment ;  for,  in  addition 
to  fortunes  that  make  King  Midas  look  like  a  poor 
relation,  they  have  given  their  owners  the  power  to 
make  and  unmake  not  only  individuals,  but  whole 
communities." 

Frederic  shook  his  Head.  "I  don't  think  you  have 
any  right  to  question  our  motives  that  way,"  he  said 
mildly.  "Where  one's  treasure  is  there  will  his  heart 
be  also.  Don't  you  think  it  shows  some  patriotism  for 
a  man  to  invest  millions  of  dollars  in  his  own  coun- 
try?" 

Randolph  laughed.  "Frederic,"  he  said,  "history  has 

242 


THE    LIBERATORS 

yet  to  show  a  patriotic  dollar.  The  nature  of  money  is 
to  go  where  it  will  be  safest.  I  understand  that  the 
Czar  of  Russia  formerly  had  six  millions  of  dollars  in- 
vested in  this  country  of  ours,  the  King  of  England 
nearly  as  much,  and  King  Leopold  more  than  half  as 
much.  The  Duke  of  York,  the  King  of  Italy,  the  King 
of  Belgium,  the  King  of  Greece,  the  King  of  Denmark, 
the  Sultan  of  Turkey  and  the  Shah  of  Persia  had  eight 
millions  invested  here.  You  don't  call  them  patriots,  do 
you  ?  The  Spanish  royal  family  is  a  heavy  stockholder  in 
two  of  our  leading  railways.  Surely  it  is  not  be- 
cause they  love  the  'American  pigs,'  is  it?  Don't  let 
us  discuss  it,  Frederic.     We  can  never  agree." 

"I  suppose  not,"  Frederic  assented.  "The  whole 
socialist  program  seems  so  chimerical,  so  impossible, 
that  I  can't  see  how  any  tenet  of  it  can  appeal  to  a 
reasonable  man.  But  I  came  to  tell  you  that  so  far  as 
I  am  concerned  all  this  will  make  no  change.  Yes,  I 
know  what  you  are  going  to  say.  Father  is  used  to 
being  monarch  of  all  he  surveys.  Margaret  is  just  like 
him,  and  Virginia  is  too  accustomed  to  submission  to 
break  away.  Indeed,  George,  we  are  all  rather  anxious 
about  her,  and  Mother  has  come  to  town  to  make 
arrangements  to  take  her  abroad.  It  will  be  better  to 
avoid  any  scene.  I  presume  my  father  will  forbid 
correspondence  between  you.     It's  hard,  I  know,  old 

243 


THE    LIBERATORS 

fellow ;  but  when  she  comes  back  in  the  spring  she  will 
be  stronger,  and  perhaps  by  that  time  you  may  have 
seen  the  error  of  your  way,  and  be  ready  to  perch  on 
an  olive  branch  if  you  should  see  one.  It's  best  for 
her  just  to  accept  Father's  ultimatum  for  the  present, 
and  you'll  do  it  for  her  sake.  As  for  me" —  a  sud- 
den steel-like  fire  burned  in  his  kindly  blue  eyes  for  an 
instant — "well,  I  don't  think  Father  will  try  conclusions 
with  me.  I  respect  and  love  my  father,  but  then  I 
love  and  respect  you,  too — you,  not  your  opinions,  you 
understand,  I  think  you  are  as  mad  as  a  March  hare, 
but  I  haven't  the  horror  of  insanity  that  some  people 
have.  We'll  go  along  just  the  same  as  usual.  I  under- 
stand you  have  offices  over  in  the  Chambers?  Well, 
I'll  be  over  in  a  day  or  so.  There  are  one  or  two 
points  in  the  Hartwell  case  that  I  want  to  consult  you 
about.  I  am  not  quite  clear  in  my  mind  as  to  my  line 
of  defense.  Brace  up,  old  man !  It's  for  only  a  few 
months,  and  Mother  is  your  friend.  She  thinks  you're 
a  Qiristian  martyr."  With  a  cordial  good-night  and 
a  warm  handclasp   he  was  gone. 

Randolph  listened  to  the  monotonous  sound  of  the 
heavily  falling  rain,  and  slowly  drew  from  the  drawer 
of  the  table  a  photograph  and  looked  at  it  long  and 
earnestly. 

"Not  to  see  her,  not  to  hear  from  her,  for  a  year !" 
he  said  brokenly,  and  buried  his  face  on  his  arms. 

244 


Chapter  XXIII. 

Randolph  gazed  long  at  the  large  bunch  of  violets, 
and  again  and  again  he  brushed  the  mist  from  his 
eyes. 

How  he  longed  this  day  for  the  soothing  influence 
of  the  Illinois  prairies  and  for  the  comforting  com- 
panionship of  the  sister  in  the  far-off  farmhouse! 
Were  the  sacrifices  he  was  making  worth  while,  after 
all?  Was  not  Frederic  right  in  saying  that  the 
battle  for  others  was  a  futile  and  thankless  task? 

To  all  appearances  the  German  incident  had  al- 
ready ceased  to  interest  the  country.  Why  should  he 
give  up  position,  prospective  wealth,  the  love  of  a 
woman  who  was  very  dear  to  him,  for  a  duty  which 
might  be  chimerical  and  for  people  who  appeared  to 
be  perfectly  satisfied  with  existing  conditions? 

He  caressed  the  violets  again,  and  placing  them  in 
a  vase  of  fresh  water  on  his  desk,  he  went  to  the  win- 
dow facing  Broadway.  He  looked  long  at  the  jostling, 
hurrying  crowd,  but  he  got  no  comfort  from  the  scene. 
If  it  were  only  the  undulating  waves  of  the  plains, 
with  the  rippling  moonlight  throwing  weird  figures 
over  their  surface,  there  might  be  rest  at  least  in  the 
view.     He  went  back  and  caressed  the  violets  once 

245 


THE    LIBERATORS 

more.  They  seemed  human  to  him,  and  in  every  blos- 
som was  enshrined  a  hving  sweetness.  Frederic  had 
told  him  how  Virginia  had  plucked  them  from  her 
bosom  on  the  boat  and  while  kissing  him  good-by 
had  whispered,  "Take  these  to  George."  He  would 
preserve  them  as  sacredly  as  a  bride  does  her  wedding 
ring,  and  from  them  he  could  draw  his  daily  inspira- 
tion of  love  and  duty. 

With  a  brave  effort  he  went  to  his  task  and  took 
up  the  routine  of  business. 

Notwithstanding  all  his  past  opportunities  for  ob- 
servation, Randolph  had  only  just  begun  to  realize 
from  bitter  experience  how  completely  a  few  large  in- 
terests controlled  the  revenue  producing  law  business 
of  New  York  City,  and  with  what  merciless  will  they 
directed  the  channels  through  which  it  should  go.  Had 
he  been  a  wholly  unknown  young  lawyer  he  might 
have  had  the  opportunity  to  gather  a  few  crumbs  as 
they  dropped  from  the  overburdened  tables  of  cor- 
poration attorneys,  but  being  under  the  ban  of  Charles 
Henry  'Ames,  the  mystic  signal  had  gone  the  rounds 
that  not  even  the  remnants  were  to  be  his. 

The  gigantic  octopus  which  had  firmly  grasped  the 
privilege  of  performing  government  duties  through 
private  public-service  corporations,  and  had  consoli- 
dated its  widely  scattered  powers  into  a  harmonious 

246 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"community  of  interest"  whole,  had  gathered  within 
its  innumerable  arms  the  savings  banks  where  the 
people  placed  their  pennies  and  dimes;  the  trust  com- 
panies with  their  control  of  vast  estates ;  the  life  in- 
surance companies  with  their  millions  gathered  from 
the  confiding  people  of  the  entire  nation;  the  national 
banks  with  their  deposits  from  the  wealthy;  and 
through  these  channels  dictated  not  only  all  policies  of 
government  for  the  people,  but  also  controlled  the 
business  and  social  destinies  of  the  individual.  What 
chance  had  a  briefless  lawyer  in  a  contest  with  this 
Juggernaut  of  modern  commerce,  under  whose  car  mil- 
lions of  devotees  stood  ready  daily  to  immolate  them- 
selves ? 

Randolph  had  sent  cards  announcing  his  new  ar- 
rangements to  all  his  friends  and  acquaintances  in 
New  York  City,  but  aside  from  Harding,  who  came 
to  him  with  the  little  law  business  he  had  from  time  to 
time,  none  of  them  crossed  his  threshold. 

In  a  social  way  he  fared  no  better.  He  was  dropped 
from  the  invitation  list  of  the  Ames  set,  and  when  he 
met  any  of  them  accidentally  he  was  made  to  feel  the 
chill  of  their  disfavor.  Except  an  occasional  evening 
at  dinner  at  the  Harding's  he  made  no  social  visits  of 
any  kind.  As  yet  he  had  few  acquaintances  among 
the  plain  people ;  but  the  business  and  social  proscrip- 

247 


THE    LIBERATORS 

tion  which  he  encountered  soon  convinced  him  that  the 
sole  avenue  for  success  for  himself  and  for  others  sim- 
ilarly situated   was  to  arouse  the  public  conscience. 

But  how  could  that  be  done?  It  would  require  the 
joint  action  of  seven  million  voters  to  overthrow  feudal- 
ism nationally,  and  four  hundred  thousand  to  accom- 
plish the  same  result  locally.  Notwithstanding  the 
soiled  and  bedraggled  banners,  with  the  skull  and 
cross-bones  of  governmental  dishonesty  emblazoned 
upon  them  as  the  sign  manual  of  both  old  political 
parties,  yet  the  millions  of  voters  still  rallied  beneath 
them  with  wild  hurrahs  for  Jefferson  and  Lincoln. 

Was  the  People's  Alliance  but  another  of  those 
sporadic  reform  organizations  which  had  thrived  so 
numerously  during  the  past  dozen  years  in  America, 
until  the  purposes  of  some  demagogue  or  ambitious 
politician  had  been  served,  and  then  flickered  out  of 
existence  without  accomplishing  any  beneficial  result? 
The  members  that  Randolph  knew  personally  were 
high-class  citizens  and  honorable  men — but  he  had  met 
only  two  score  of  them.  The  purposes  of  the  organ- 
ization were  of  the  loftiest  kind,  but  so  had  been  the 
purposes  of  many  other  reform  organizations  which 
had  either  lacked  character  or  judgment  enough  to  get 
any  of  their  purposes  enacted  into  laws. 

At  this  time  Randolph  was  no  visionary.     What- 

248 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ever  illusions  he  may  have  had  about  the  practical 
operations  of  American  poHtics,  they  were  all  dis- 
pelled now,  and  with  clear  vision  he  faced  his  future 
career.  With  the  holy  ambition  of  youth  warm  in  his 
heart,  with  the  sacred  charge  of  his  dying  father  call- 
ing to  him  in  trumpet  tones,  with  his  recent  observa- 
tion of  the  treasonable  betrayal  of  the  people  by  both 
the  old  political  parties  still  chilling  his  soul,  he  asked 
himself  what  course  he  should  pursue. 

Answer  the  question  for  your  own  sons  similarly 
situated,  ye  men  of  brain  and  heart  and  soul,  who 
know  the  inside  workings  of  American  politics.  Ye 
matrons  of  America,  than  whom  no  more  devoted 
mothers  ever  lived,  answer  the  question  for  your  sons, 
whom  you  have  seen  in  fond  imagination  climbing  to 
the  very  pinnacle  of  civic  fame.  Ye  wives  and  sweet- 
hearts, answer  the  question  for  your  own  loved  ones, 
who  are  standing  on  the  threshold  of  their  careers. 

Ignorance  of  conditions  is  not  a  worthy  plea  in  a 
republic.  That  has  been  the  cause  of  freedom's  doom 
ever  since  the  dawn  of  time,  and  it  has  been  two  score 
years  since  the  American  people  took  an  inventory  of 
the  assets  of  the  Goddess  of  Liberty. 

But  this  young  patriot,  with  the  inspiration  begot  of 
the  plains  and  the  strength  of  purpose  produced  by 
the  city,  did  not  waste  his  hours  of  usefulness,  await- 

249 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ing  the  awakening-  of  the  American  people.  Like  the 
President  who  was  a  Virginia  farmer,  and  that  other 
President  who  spHt  rails,  and  the  one  who  followed  a 
mule  on  the  towpath,  George  Randolph  courageously 
avowed  his  political  opinions,  let  the  consequences  be 
what  they  might  and  let  the  people  dream  as  long  as 
they  would. 

■  Supreme  courage  has  laughed  at  obstacles  ever  since 
the  world  began.  But  why  should  the  human  race 
eternally  choose  the  penalty  of  either  abject  slavery, 
or  a  social  revolution  which  shakes  the  very  founda- 
tion of  government  through  giants  of  courage  and 
honesty,  rather  than  banish  ignorance  from  their  lives  ? 

And  ye  fathers,  mothers,  wives  and  sweethearts, 
perhaps  your  loved  ones  may  not  have  the  courage  or 
devotion  that  characterized  the  rail  splitter,  or  the 
farmer,  or  the  mule  driver.  In  any  event,  social  revo- 
lutions are  not  required  to  give  honest  ambition  an 
inning,  when  knowledge,  instead  of  ignorance,  rules 
the  nation. 

As  he  had  already  calculated,  with  what  he  had 
saved  from  his  salary,  and  with  his  modest  income 
from  his  father's  estate,  Randolph  could  live  comfort- 
ably for  a  couple  of  years ;  and  with  the  grim  resolu- 
tion of  his  revolutionary  ancestors,  he  determined  to 
give  his  time  to  public  work,  and  to  defy  the  lightning 

250 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  the  war  gods  of  greed.  He  joined  the  People's  Al- 
Hance,  and  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the  study  of 
municipal  and  general  governmental  problems. 

In  college  Randolph  had  been  classed  as  an  effective 
speaker,  clear,  logical  and  intensely  earnest,  without 
flamboyancy  or  spread-eagleism.  He  had  a  command- 
ing presence,  being  six  feet  one  in  height,  and  a  coun- 
tenance that  shone  with  intellect  and  conviction.  His 
observation  and  experience  gave  him  a  special  knowl- 
edge of  the  oppression  of  those  who  were  making  vast 
fortunes  through  licenses  to  discharge  governmental 
duties,  and  he  soon  became  a  most  forceful  advocate 
of  a  revocation  of  these  licenses.  At  the  end  of  three 
months  he  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  corpora- 
tion press  to  the  extent  that  they  always  referred  to 
him  as  "George  Randolph,  the  Socialist,"  and  one  in- 
spired journal  said  that  he  was  laying  the  foundation 
for  his  own  banishment  or  imprisonment  by  preach- 
ing such  anarchistic  doctrine  as  exercising  the  right  of 
eminent  domain  in  acquiring  government  possession  of 
public  utility  properties. 

A  municipal  campaign  for  the  election  of  aldermen 
was  approaching,  and  so  influential  had  the  Alliance 
become,  with  its  hundred  thousand  enrolled  members, 
that  both  of  the  old  political  parties  were  compelled  to 
adopt  qualified  municipal  ownership  platforms  and  to 

251 


THE    LIBERATORS 

advocate  other  reforms  championed  by  the  Alliance, 
At  the  last  moment  for  filing  tickets  the  Alliance  deter- 
mined to  place  a  complete  ticket  of  its  own  in  the  field. 
In  vain  he  insisted  that  this  fight  should  be  made  for 
members  of  the  State  Legislature,  as  municipal  owner- 
ship was  imfKJssible  under  the  existing  condition  of  the 
laws  of  the  State  of  New  York ;  but  the  leaders  of  the 
movement  thought  a  more  effective  educational  cam- 
paign could  be  conducted  for  city  aldermen  who  had  to 
deal  directly  with  the  utility  corporations,  and  his  views 
were  overruled.  He  refused  to  go  on  the  ticket  him- 
self, but  gave  his  undivided  time  to  the  campaign. 
Within  a  few  days  after  it  opened  it  was  apparent 
that  the  people  were  interested,  and  immense  crowds 
attended  the  Alliance  meetings,  with  the  result  that  the 
Republican  and  Democratic  managers  became  alarmed 
and  combined  their  forces  and  influence  for  the  elec- 
tion of  the  Tammany  Hall  ticket,  which  had  been  dic- 
tated throughout  by  the  managers  of  the  local  cor- 
porations. 

The  election  is  well  remembered  as  one  of  the  most 
disgraceful  ever  held  in  New  York.  Repeaters  went 
boldly  from  one  polling  place  to  another,  and  one 
man  boasted  that  he  had  voted  ten  times  in  Manhat- 
tan and  twice  in  Brooklyn.  Inspectors  appointed  by 
the  Alliance  were  thrown  out  of  the  polling  places; 

252 


THE    LIBERATORS 

money  was  used  openly  to  purchase  votes;  judges  of 
election  in  several  precincts  threw  their  ballot  boxes 
into  the  North  River,  after  having  certified  to  large 
majorities  for  the  Tammany  candidates;  the  entire 
election  machinery  of  the  city  was  corrupted,  and 
when  the  result  was  announced  Tammany  had  car- 
ried every  election  district  in  Greater  New  York, 
except  three  in  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn.. 

But  it  was  a  dearly  bought  victory.  So  brazen  and 
flagrant  were  the  frauds  that  even  the  conscience  of 
morally  apathetic  New  York  was  aroused,  and  a  uni- 
versal demand  was  made  by  the  honest  people  of  the 
city  for  the  prosecution  of  those  who  had  violated 
the  sanctity  of  the  ballot.  Within  two  months  thirty- 
four  men  were  on  their  way  to  Sing  Sing  prison,  and 
the  public  anger  was  yet  unappeased.  This  attempt 
to  overthrow  popular  government  was  only  exceeded 
in  the  scope  of  its  criminality  by  the  Western  State 
which  Randolph  had  visited  early  that  year,  and  he 
predicted  the  same  result  in  New  York  that  he  had 
predicted  in  the  West,  when  the  opportunity  to  pass 
upon  such  questions  was  again  given  to  the  people. 

He  said  in  a  speech  to  the  Alliance  the  night  after 
election :  "The  result  of  the  excesses  to  which  the 
utility  corporations  have  gone  to  maintain  their  power 
is  worth  a  dozen  partial  victories  for  our  cause,  for 

253 


THE    LIBERATORS 

it  demonstrates  instantly  to  the  most  prejudiced  or  ob- 
tuse person,  depths  of  depravity  which  we  would  be 
powerless  to  demonstrate  by  words  in  many  years.  Our 
enemies  have  planted  the  seed  of  revolution  which  will 
sweep  them  from  power  at  the  next  election." 

And,  although  the  octopus  of  greed  could  direct 
clients  from  his  doorway  and  could  ostracize  him 
socially,  yet  the  eyes  of  George  Randolph  that  night 
reflected  back  the  courageous  confidence  of  the  eyes 
that  gazed  steadfastly  at  him  from  the  portrait  of  his 
father  on  the  wall  of  his  sitting  room. 


25^ 


Chapter  XXIV. 

About  the  middle  of  October  Randolph  received 
this  letter  from  Rome,  Italy : 

"My  Dear  George — To  tell  you  that  I  am  proud  of 
you  but  mildly  expresses  my  sentiments  concerning  the 
manly,  courageous  and  patriotic  course  you  have  pur- 
sued, 

"I  well  knew  you  could  not  long  continue  in  the  em- 
ployment of  Dalrymple  &  Ames,  but  the  knowledge  of 
public  evils  which  you  obtained  from  actual  experience 
will  be  invaluable  to  you  in  the  pending  contest.  I  have 
been  entirely  out  of  touch  with  American  affairs  for 
over  three  months — having  joined  some  friends  in  a 
long  cruise  where  we  were  away  from  the  post.  On 
my  arrival  here  yesterday  I  found  a  bushel  of  letters 
from  home. 

"I  did  not  expect  any  change  in  political  affairs  in 
the  United  States  for  a  year  or  so  yet,  but  the  Ger- 
man incident  has  undoubtedly  precipitated  a  crisis,  of 
which  you  have  been  prompt  to  take  advantage.  I  had 
hoped  that  Mr.  Ames's  views  of  public  questions  might 
accord  with  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  people  when 
revolution  finally  came,  but  the  call  of  the  blood  has 
been  too  strong  for  such  a  beneficent  result. 

255 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Now  that  the  battle  has  begun,  make  all  proposi- 
tions so  clear  to  the  people  that  they  cannot  again  be 
fooled  or  misled. 

"The  object  of  society  is  the  promotion  of  happiness ; 
of  government,  the  protection  of  that  happiness  from 
injury  by  the  evil-minded  and  wicked  members  of  so- 
ciety. As  Paine  so  tersely  expresses  it:  'Society  is  pro- 
duced by  our  wants,  and  government  by  our  wicked- 
ness.' 

"In  the  brief  career  which  we  are  permitted  to  have 
on  this  earth  the  acme  of  wickedness  and  the  dregs  of 
cruelty  are  a  government  which  does  not  protect  the 
masses  in  the  enjoyment  of  happiness,  of  which  free- 
dom is  a  most  vital  element.  Whatever  the  name  or 
the  veneer,  that  government  is  barbarous  which  ren- 
ders the  social  condition  of  the  masses  one  of  wretched- 
ness or  unhappiness ;  and  wretchedness  and  unhappi- 
ness  do  not  come  to  mankind  so  much  from  poverty 
of  money  as  from  unjust  discrimination  and  unequal 
opportunity. 

"The  bulwark  of  all  those  who  oppose  a  just  system 
of  government  is  that  it  is  against  custom.  'You  can- 
not make  mankind  over,'  they  say,  'and  these  distinc- 
tions of  class  have  always  existed.'  So  they  have,  but 
once  it  was  the  custom  to  take  pleasure  jaunts  in  ox 
carts,  land  journeys  in  stage  coaches,  sea  voyages  in 

256 


THE    LIBERATORS 

sailing  vessels,  to  read  by  a  tallow  dip  and  to  send 
messages  by  the  pony  express.  We  boast  that  we  are 
a  Christian  nation,  yet  we  want  to  cling  to  govern- 
mental customs  handed  down  to  us  by  pagan  barbarians 
and  opposed  to  every  tenet  of  the  Christian  religion. 

"They  say  that  such  a  change  will  be  fraught  with  a 
huge  social  shock.  Not  at  all.  Those  who  own  the 
special  privileges  will  get  dollar  for  dollar  of  every 
cent  invested  in  those  enterprises,  even  unto  the  last 
share  of  the  fraudulent  capitalization  which  character- 
izes nearly  all  of  them.  They  can  expend  the  money  so 
received  in  any  wise  or  foolish  fashion  they  may  see 
fit,  even  to  having  actresses  and  monkeys  breaking 
out  of  huge  dinner  pies,  as  some  of  them  do  at  the 
present  day.  Time  will  easily  enough  adjust  this  class 
to  the  new  conditions.  It  is  the  other  class  that  needs 
the  leading-strings  of  government  for  a  while,  and 
these  will  be  furnished  by  putting  into  effect  the  simple 
doctrine  which  we  have  preached  ever  since  our  gov- 
ernment began:  'Equal  opportunity  to  all;  special 
privileges  to  none.' 

"If,  after  a  while,  it  should  happen  that  overdone 
monkeys  and  underdone  actresses  must  be  dispensed 
with  at  meal  time;  that  justice  has  so  far  triumphed 
that  no  social  class  needs  the  public  charity  of  any  other 
class;  that  public  libraries  grow  spontaneously  from 

257 


THE    LIBERATORS 

public  demand  rather  than  from  philanthropic  endow- 
ment; that  the  talent  and  genius  which  have  made 
America  such  a  marvelous  industrial  country  through 
private  enterprise,  when  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the 
government,  shall  make  it  the  greatest  and  most  pow- 
erful for  good  of  any  nation  on  earth ;  that  interna- 
tional conferences  shall  be  held,  not  to  determine  the 
most  civilized  manner  of  waging  barbarous  war,  but 
to  fix  a  universal  wage  scale,  a  world-wide  prohibition 
of  child  labor,  the  uniform  recognition  of  women's 
civil,  political  and  moral  rights,  the  fixing  of  a  staple 
price  for  the  products  of  the  farm,  and  the  establish- 
ment of  a  common  language  for  all  mankind — will  any 
citizen  have  a  just  grievance  or  wish  to  turn  the  hands 
of  the  clock  back  to  present  customs  ? 

"One  evening,  last  winter,  I  stood  on  the  bank  of  the 
Nile,  where  Thebes'  once  mighty  temple  now  rears  its 
gloomy  ruins,  and  watched  the  sun  go  down  behind  the 
Libyan  mountains.  As  the  last  rays  touched  the  rocks 
above  the  gilded,  decorated  and  gorgeous  tombs  of  the 
kings  in  those  mountains,  and  glinted  through  the  tem- 
ple columns,  amidst  which  the  greatest  warriors  of 
earth  had  trod,  I  asked  myself  what  had  wrought  the 
change  in  this  even  yet  most  fertile  valley  of  the  world? 

"The  pages  of  history  opened  before  me,  emblazoned 
with  oppression,  tyranny  and  selfish  ambition.     But 

258 


THE    LIBERATORS 

everywhere,  in  letters  of  blood,  stood  forth  the  fact 
that  the  splendid  civilization  of  ancient  Egypt  was  de- 
stroyed by  the  class-hatred  and  factional  wars  of  its 
own  people.  And  it  has  been  true  in  every  nation. 
France,  single-handed,  fought  and  defeated  all  Europe 
when  the  patriotic  principles  of  the  Revolution  made 
every  soldier  a  national  hero.  From  Montenotte  to  the 
Russian  Invasion  victory  perched  on  Napoleon's  stand- 
ards in  Europe,  because  he  was  carrying  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Revolution  to  every  part  of  that  continent. 
When  his  wars  degenerated  into  those  of  mere  con- 
quest, defeat  overwhelmed  him,  for  the  French  soldier 
of  Borodino,  bent  on  conquest  and  plunder,  was  not  the 
French  soldier  of  Austerlitz,  fighting  to  preserve  the 
fruits  of  the  Revolution  and  to  keep  the  yoke  of  feudal- 
ism from  being  again  forced  on  his  neck. 

"The  ideals  of  our  country  have  so  long  been  those 
of  sordid  greed  that  not  only  has  graft  made  almost 
every  business  transaction  odious  at  home,  but  no  one 
can  tell  the  extent  of  its  injury  to  the  national  spirit. 

"What  we  advocate  will  give  us  higher  national 
ideals — an  aroused  patriotism  that  will  make  every 
citizen  a  hero  on  all  occasions.  Hatred  will  give  way 
to  love;  the  assassin's  bomb  to  the  message  of  good 
will;  class  consciousness  to  national  brotherhood. 

259 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"I  will  be  in  New  York  in  a  few  weeks,  and  as  you 
know,  this  contest  will  claim  my  best  efforts. 
"Sincerely  yours, 

"Gertrude  Strong." 
Although  Randolph  had  crossed  the  Rubicon  of  his 
career,  this  letter  redoubled  his  determination  and 
courage,  and  he  silently  blessed  the  noble  and  patriotic 
woman,  who  was  so  soon  to  become  his  invaluable 
ally. 


260 


Chapter  XXV. 

■  One  morning  in  the  next  October  two  women  were 
engaged  in  earnest  conversation  on  the  forward  part  of 
the  promenade  deck  of  an  incoming  ocean  Hner  as  it 
steamed  up  New  York  Bay.  One  was  young,  but  very 
frail,  and  her  sad,  white  face  gave  her  the  appearance 
of  great  unhappiness  as  well  as  of  ill-health. 

"I  wish  you  v/ould  take  me  there  to-night,  Mother," 
she  said  to  her  companion,  as  she  passed  a  folded 
New  York  paper  to  her.  "I  want  very  much  to  hear 
him." 

The  elder  woman  read  the  announcement  marked 
by  the  folds  of  the  paper  and,  looking  at  her  daughter 
affectionately,  replied:  "I  fear  you  are  not  strong 
enough,  my  child ;  and  then  your  father  will  not  want 
you  to  go." 

"But  I  must  go.  I  can  stand  this  miserable  life  no 
longer.  I  know  that  a  great  mistake  has  been  made 
somewhere,  and  it  must  be  rectified.  Surely  my  father 
does  not  wish  to  kill  me." 

"We  shall  see,  my  dear,  and  if  it  is  possible  you 
shall  go." 

The  newspaper  announcement  read  as   follows : 

"George   Randolph   and    other   able    speakers    will 

261 


THE    LIBERATORS 

address  the  people  of  New  York  City  at  Madison 
Square  Garden  Tuesday  evening-,  October  7th,  at  8 
o'clock,  under  the  auspices  of  the  People's  Alliance." 

Early  in  the  sunimer  the  Alliance  had  determined  to 
form  itself  into  an  independent  political  organization 
and  to  enter  the  lists  at  the  fall  election  for  the  New 
York  City  delegation  to  the  State  Legislature.  The 
organization  had  grown  enormously  during  the  past 
year.  Its  officers  began  to  believe  that  at  last  the 
voters  were  thinkingf.  and  were  getting  courage  enough 
to  battle  in  the  open  for  their  rights  and  their  liber- 
ties. 

For  nine  successive  months  a  cashier's  check  for 
ten  thousand  dollars,  payable  to  the  Alliance,  had  been 
sent  to  its  treasurer,  always  with  the  same  written 
message  attached:  'Tlease  accept  this  money  from 
a  friend  of  your  cause."  On  the  first  of  October  the 
amount  was  twenty  thousand  dollars,  with  this  addi- 
tion to  the  usual  note :  "You  must  organize  thor- 
oughly. Leave  nothing  undone  to  win  the  election. 
The  enemy  has  almost  unlimited  money,  but  the  peo- 
ple are  with  you.  I  will  send  you  a  check  for  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars  on  the  twentieth  of  October 
to  be  expended  in  perfecting  3^our  plans  for  election 
day  in  every  voting  precinct." 

Checks  for  five  hundred  dollars  and  one  thousand 

262 


THE  LIBERATORS 
dollars  came  occasionally  to  the  treasurer  from  weal- 
thy members  of  the  organization,  and  checks  for 
smaller  sums  came  more  frequently.  But  these  large 
subscriptions  had  aroused  the  surprise,  interest  and 
astonishment  of  every  officer.  Neither  could  they  get 
the  slightest  clue  to  the  donor.  The  notes  were  type- 
written, as  also  was  the  address  on  the  envelope.  The 
stamp  showed  that  they  were  mailed  at  the  main  pos- 
tal  station. 

When  Randolph  heard  of  these  mysterious  checks 
he  smiled  with  satisfaction,  but  he  ventured  no  sur- 
mises to  any  person  as  to  their  source.  From  charity 
associations  all  over  the  city  the  Alliance  was  over- 
whelmed  with   offers   of   voluntary   help,   and    from 
every  quarter    where  the  poorest  people  lived    came 
evidences  of  effective  missionary  work  for  their  cause 
Neither  could  the  Alliance  get  any  of  these  people  to 
take  money   from  its  agents  to  do  work  for  them 
They  said  that  the  cause  was  their  cause,  and  they 
had  friends  working  for  the  Alliance  who  were  dearer 
to  them  than  any  sums  of  money  possibly  could  be 
Randolph  had  seen  Mrs.  Strong  several  times  since 
her  return,  and  when  she  desired  to  get  new  informa- 
tion about  the  work  of  the  Alliance  she  would  tele- 
phone him  to  dine  with  her,  but  she  gave  no  intima- 
tion that  she  was  doing  any  particular  work  and  never 

26z 


THE    LIBERATORS 

once  mentioned  the  possibility  of  her  contributing 
money. 

She  had  suggested  to  him,  directly  after  her  return 
from  Europe,  that  he  take  charge  of  a  portion  of  her 
legal  business,  but  when  he  told  her  that  he  could  not 
think  of  taking  any  client  from  Frederic  she  appre- 
ciated his  honorable  feeling  and  dropped  the  matter. 
But  often  new  clients,  with  good  retainers  in  hand, 
would  walk  into  Randolph's  office.  He  was  convinced 
that  they  had  been  sent  by  Mrs.  Strong;  but  once 
when  he  had  attempted  to  question  her  about  it  she 
skilfully  changed  the  subject. 

Except  for  her  regular  visits  to  the  Ameses  and 
an  occasional  evening  at  the  Hardings  or  an  informal 
dinner  at  her  own  house,  Mrs.  Strong  had  entirely 
withdrawn  from  society.  She  told  Mrs.  Harding  that 
she  had  no  time  for  it,  as  her  charity  work  claimed  her 
entire  attention. 

The  members  of  the  Alliance  had  become  alive  to 
the  fact  that  all  over  the  United  States  the  corpora- 
tions, operating  public  utility  plants,  had  taken  great 
pains  to  enact  constitutional  and  legislative  provisions 
limiting  the  amount  of  municipal  indebtedness,  so  as 
to  render  it  impossible  for  cities  to  purchase  or  con- 
struct such  plants  even  after  the  people  had  voted  for 
their  ownership. 

264 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  People's  Alliance  determined  to  start  its  cam- 
paign for  municipal  ownership  at  the  source  of  the 
stream,  and  to  get  such  legislation  at  Albany  that 
there  could  be  no  delay  in  purchasing  or  condemning 
the  utility  plants  when  the  people  of  the  city  should 
vote  to  take  possession  of  them.  In  previous  move- 
ments for  municipal  ownership  in  several  American 
cities  these  '  legal  obstacles  had  prevented  effective 
action,  and  whatever  victories  were  won  had  been 
barren  of  results  in  correcting  any  of  the  evils  of  cor- 
rupt class  rule. 

Accordingly,  the  strongest  men  whom  the  Alliance 
could  get  to  stand  for  the  positions  were  nominated 
for  both  houses  of  the  Legislature.  Randolph  pre- 
ferred to  go  to  the  Assembly  instead  of  to  the  Senate ; 
but  the  leading  men  in  the  Alliance  decided  that  he 
had  better  stand  for  the  Senate,  for,  if  elected,  he 
would  be  entitled  to  sit  in  two  sessions  of  the  Legis- 
lature, and  they  realized  that  their  battle  for  civic 
freedom  would  be  powerfully  contested  at  every  stage. 

Under  the  constitution  of  New  York  State  con- 
stitutional amendments  had  to  pass  two  succeeding 
Legislatures  before  they  could  be  submitted  to  the 
people,  and  at  the  very  best  it  would  require  two  years 
after  the  next  Legislature  convened  before  the  consti- 
tutional amendment  lifting  the  debt  limit  from  the 

265 


THE    LIBERATORS 

city  could  be  referred  to  a  popular  vote ;  for  while  the 
Legislature  met  every  year,  constitutional  amend- 
ments were  required  to  go  to  the  succeeding  Legisla- 
ture when  Senators  were  elected  for  ratification  by 
that  Legislature. 

New  York  had  never  witnessed  such  an  earnest 
campaign  as  that  conducted  by  the  People's  Alliance. 
Its  candidates  were  all  able  and  fearless  men ;  men 
who  were  no  more  afraid  to  battle  for  a  civic  cause 
than  they  would  have  been  afraid  to  battle  for  their 
country's  flag  on  the  field  of  carnage ;  men  who  were 
intellectually  honest,  and  refused  to  stifle  their  convic- 
tions; men  who  were  determined  to  restore  popular 
rule  in  place  of  the  domination  of  greed  and  corrup- 
tion, which  too  long  had  held  full  sway  ;  men  who  were 
resolved  to  blaze  anew  a  wide  and  safe  trail  for  the 
honorable  ambition  of  the  young  and  to  destroy  for- 
ever the  yoke  of  bribery,  which  was  enslaving  the 
nation.  They  preached  the  crusade  for  civic  honor  and 
righteousness  in  the  market  places  and  in  the  temples, 
and  wherever  they  went  they  talked  straight  to  the 
hearts  and  the  consciences  of  the  people. 

The.air  of  the  metropolis  was  surcharged  with  more 
patriotism  than  it  had  known  since  the  days  of  the 
Civil  War.  The  description  by  a  daily  paper  of  the 
meeting  of  the  Alliance  in  one  of  the  upper  western 

266 


THE    LIBERATORS 

parts  of  Manhattan,  in  the  strongest  Tammany  district 
of  Greater  New  York,  will  convey  an  idea  of  the 
enthusiasm  and  earnestness  that  swept  over  the  city : 

"Long  before  eight  o'clock  five  thousand  people  were 
packed  into  a  hall  the  normal  capacity  of  which  is 
thirty-five  hundred,  and  when  the  speakers  arrived,  at 
eight-fifteen  o'clock,  four  thousand  people  in  the  streets 
demanded  brief  addresses  before  they  would  permit 
them  to  enter  the  hall. 

"George  Randolph,  candidate  for  the  State  Senate, 
was  the  first  speaker  to  enter,  and  as  soon  as  the  crowd 
saw  his  towering  form  pandemonium  reigned  for  ten 
minutes.  The  moment  he  passed  through  the  door 
those  nearest  formed  a  voluntary  bodyguard  to  clear 
a  way  for  him ;  but  before  he  had  gone  twenty  feet 
four  stalwart  men  lifted  him  to  their  shoulders  and 
amid  tempestuous  cheering  of  men  and  women  carried 
him  to  the  stage.  During  these  proceedings  men  stood 
on  chairs  and  waved  their  hats ;  women  stood  up  and 
saluted  with  their  handkerchiefs;  a  young  man  of 
lusty  lungs  shouted,  'They'll  not  steal  this  election !' 
and  from  a  thousand  determined  men  came  the  spon- 
taneous chorus:  'There'll  be  dead  election  judges  in 
New  York  if  they  try  it.'  " 

The  utility  corporations  were  not  idle,  by  any  means. 
On  the  contrary,  they  raised  a  larger  campaign  fund 

267 


THE    LIBERATORS 

than  ever  before  in  their  history.  Their  newspapers 
were  more  insinuating,  more  suave,  more  effective ; 
their  speakers  declared  that  they  all  favored  ultimate 
municipal  ownership,  but  conditions  were  not  ripe  for 
it  yet ;  that  it  would  lead  into  g-overnmental  chaos ;  all- 
powerful  political  machines  would  result  from  it;  the 
service  would  not  be  so  good  as  the  private  corpora- 
tions gave.  Tammany  Hall  and  the  Republican  party 
united  on  legislative  candidates  and  everything  that 
political  machinery,  political  skill  and  political  corrup- 
tion could  do  to  elect  their  ticket  was  being  done. 

The  campaign  was  at  its  height  when  the  People's 
Alliance  determined  to  hold  a  monster  meeting  at 
Madison  Square  Garden,  with  Randolph  as  the  prin- 
cipal speaker.  It  was  this  meeting  that  Virginia  Ames 
saw  advertised  in  the  newspaper  as  she  entered  the 
bay  on  her  return  from  Europe. 

For  fifteen  months  she  and  her  mother  had  been 
abroad.  In  vain  she  had  begged  for  her  father's  per- 
mission to  write  to  Randolph,  but  he  remained  obdu- 
rate, and  curtly  wrote  her  that  he  would  never  for- 
give her  if  she  gave  Randolph  the  slightest  recogni- 
tion. Under  the  stress  of  feeling  her  health  broke 
down,  and  her  mother  could  not  induce  her  to  indulge 
in  her  old-time  outdoor  sports  or  exercise.  In  Paris, 
on  the  Riviera,  at  her  dearly  beloved  Amalfi,  wherever 

268 


THE    LIBERATORS 

they  went,  she  would  sit  for  hours  by  the  window  with- 
out saying  a  word,  and  her  mother  often  found  her  in 
tears.  She  heard  nothing  about  Randolph  except  in 
an  occasional  letter  from  Frederic.  Finally,  she 
besought  her  mother  to  take  her  back  to  America, 
where  her  grief  could  be  no  less  acute  and  where  she 
hoped  conditions  might  become  more  propitious  for  a 
reconciliation  between  her  father  and  Randolph. 


269 


Chapter  XXVI. 

Old-time  New  Yorkers  had  seen  many  notable  meet- 
ings at  Madison  Square  Garden.  They  had  seen  every 
seat  in  the  vast  auditorium  filled  and  thousands  turned 
away  at  the  doors,  but  never  before  had  any  New 
Yorker  seen  such  an  assemblage  of  people  as  this  one. 

The  meeting  was  announced  for  eight  o'clock,  but  at 
six,  five  thousand  people  were  awaiting  admission  and, 
as  the  crowd  grew  every  minute,  by  seven  o'clock  thirty 
thousand  were  gathered  outside  the  building.  They 
filled  Madison  Avenue  for  two  blocks.  They  overran 
Madison  Square  Park.  At  seven-thirty  the  doors  were 
opened  and,  after  every  seat  was  taken,  thousands  of 
people  crowded  into  the  open  spaces  in  the  rear  of  the 
hall. 

They  were  so  thickly  packed  that  it  was  impossible 
for  those  in  the  front  ranks  to  move  a  foot  backward 
or  those  in  the  rear  ranks  to  move  a  foot  forward. 
Among  those  nearest  the  doors  when  they  opened  were 
Mrs.  Strong,  Virginia  and  Frederic.  He  had  acceded 
to  her  importunities  and  had  taken  them  early,  and 
through  the  offices  of  friendly  policemen  they  were 
enabled  to  enter  among  the  first.  Outside  the  building 
twenty  thousand  people  demanded  a  speaker,  and  John 

270 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Moore,  of  Brooklyn,  next  to  Randolph  the  ablest 
speaker  in  the  Alliance  and  a  candidate  for  the  State 
Assembly,  spoke  to  them. 

The  auditorium  was  profusely  decorated  with  Amer- 
ican flags.  Over  the  stage  hung  lifesize  portraits  of 
Lincoln  and  Jefferson,  and,  in  immense  letters,  fes- 
tooned in  flags,  was  the  most  famous  declaration  of 
each :  "Government  of  the  people,  by  the  people  and 
for  the  people  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth."  "Equal 
rights  to  all :  special  privileges  to  none." 

When  the  band  played  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner" 
twenty-five  thousand  men  and  women  stood  and  waved 
flags  and  cheered. 

Women  took  an  active  part  in  this  campaign,  and 
while  they  were  denied  the  right  to  vote,  on  account  of 
the  yet  benighted  legislation  of  the  East,  still  they 
entered  the  lists  as  champions  of  honest  government, 
impartial  enforcement  of  law  and  the  protection  of 
the  young  against  the  dens  of  vice  and  shame  that  were 
maintained  by  blackmail,  levied  by  the  official  tools  of 
the  utility  corporations  upon  outlawed  men  and  fallen 
women. 

Herman  Roof,  New  York's  greatest  philanthropist, 
was  chairman. 

Randolph  watched  this  seething  sea  of  humanity 
and  noted  the  earnestness  of  every  movement.      Then 

271 


THE    LIBERATORS 

his  mind  went  back  to  that  scene  of  his  boyhood — the 
bleak  seventh  of  October  in  the  old  Illinois  farmhouse, 
when  his  father  had  given  him  his  dying  charge.  He 
saw  the  wasted  form,  the  courageous  look,  and  he  heard 
again  the  tribute  of  undying  devotion  to  Lincoln.  How 
remarkable  it  was  that  this  great  meeting  should  fall 
on  the  anniversary  of  the  Galesburg  debate — the  event 
that  had  controlled  his  father's  destiny,  and  the  anni- 
versary of  his  father's  memorable  conversation  with 
him,  which  had  dictated  his  own  career.  The  meeting 
had  been  arranged  without  his  knowledge,  the  date 
fixed  upon  was  a  mere  coincidence ;  but  to  Randolph 
it  brought  with  it  the  inspiration  of  a  solemn  charge 
that  seemed  like  a  breath  from  another  world. 

While  these  thoughts  were  coursing  through  his 
brain  the  chairman  had  opened  the  meeting  and  was 
turning  to  introduce  him.  For  one  brief  moment  he 
closed  his  eyes  and  breathed  a  silent  prayer  for 
strength,  and  then  stepped  to  the  front  of  the  stage. 

The  audience  began  a  demonstration  in  his  'honor 
similar  to  those  of  former  meetings,  but  he  lifted  his 
hand  for  silence,  and  ere  they  could  resume  his  splen- 
did voice  was  filling  every  part  of  the  great  hall. 

He  sacrificed  nothing  of  clearness  or  strength  to 
mere  elocutionary  eflfect,  but  in  simple  language,  easily 
comprehended  by  all,  he  detailed  the  country's  wrongs 

272 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  the  remedies  which  the  People's  Alliance  proposed. 
For  two  hours  he  presented  the  unanswerable  govern- 
mental doctrines  of  the  new  organization,  and  by  atten- 
tion and  applause  the  vast  audience  demonstrated  that 
it  was  with  him  throughout. 

"Less  than  half  a  century  ago,"  he  began,  "our 
fathers  were  engaged  in  a  mighty  struggle  to  free  the 
black  slaves  of  the  nation.  Scarcely  a  generation  had 
passed  when  new  elements  of  greed  and  oppression  set 
to  work  to  enslave  millions  of  our  people  and  to  annul 
the  doctrine  that,  under  American  institutions,  every 
citizen  has  equal  opportunities  and  equal  rights.  You 
will  search  the  pages  of  history  in  vain  to  find  where 
a  once  free  people  were  ever  so  completely  deprived 
of  liberty  of  political  action,  or  the  power  to  control 
~  public  affairs,  as  are  the  American  people  at  the  present 
time. 

"This  new  form  of  bondage  has  been  of  slow  and 
insidious  growth,  but  none  the  less  certain  and  con- 
stant and  progressive,  until  to-day  that  citizen  is  not  a 
patriot  who  will  not  assist  in  overthrowing  it.  It  had 
its  origin  in  the  liberal,  though  misguided,  laws  which 
permitted  the  performance  of  government  functions 
by  individuals  and  corporations  in  their  private  capaci- 
ties. It  fastened  its  poisoned  fangs  deep  into  the 
national  body  when  these  individuals  and  corporations 


THE    LIBERATO.RS 

waxed  rich  and  powerful  through  the  favor  and  pro- 
tection and  Hcense  of  pubHc  officials  engaged  in  per- 
forming the  other  duties  of  government.  It  became 
oppressive  when  those  to  whom  the  people  had  granted 
authority  to  perform  specific  functions  of  government 
undertook  to  control  the  operations  of  all  govern- 
ment for  their  own  enrichment.  It  became  unbearable 
when  those  private  concerns,  engaged  in  specific  gov- 
ernmental work,  adopted  the  business  policy  of  using 
each  year  a  portion  of  their  wealth  to  control  every 
department  of  the  government  not  already  granted  to 
them  by  license,  through  corrupting  the  agents  of  the 
people  in  such  departments. 

*  *         *         * 

"What  do  you  think  about  a  judiciary,  which  passes 
upon  property  rights  and  personal  liberty  and 
which  has  power  to  take  human  life,  being  brought  into 
existence  through  such  influences  and  owing  its  official 
life  to  such  control  ? 

*  *         *         * 

"These  great  private  enterprises,  which  control  our 
various  governments,  undertake  to  direct  the  thought 
and  action  of  the  nation  through  their  press  and  their 
creatures  in  office.  They  uphold  mediocre  individuals 
and  destroy  strong  and  worthy  characters.  They  fix 
the  quality  and  the  quantity  of  the  money  which  the 

274 


THE    LIBERATORS 

people  may  use.  They  maintain  that  great  gambling 
institution  known  as  Wall  Street,  which  is  a  menace 
to  every  honest  young  man  in  the  land,  and  which 
government  and  municipal  ownership  of  public  utilities 
would  destroy  in  a  day.  They  set  up  a  false  standard  of 
living  and  take  the  means  of  comfort  from  the  mil- 
lions to  riot  in  luxury  themselves.  They  corrupt  the 
public  service,  prostitute  the  judiciary  and  defy  the 
popular  will.  With  a  withering  hand  they  blight  the 
noblest  aspirations  of  the  young  and  place  a  premium 
upon  boodling,  graft  and  dishonor. 

"How  can  you  expect  the  parasites  that  take  public 
office  under  such  a  system  to  be  honest  in  any  of  their 
relations  with  the  people?  They  are  essentially  cor- 
rupt, necessarily  craven,  as  a  matter  of  course  venal ; 
and  you  will  never  have  honest  or  competent  officials 
until  you  destroy  this  mighty  agency  of  avarice  and 
selfishness. 

"The  attempt  to  regulate  these  institutions  is  a 
makeshift  which  delays  the  final  triumph  of  the  people, 
which  plays  into  the  hands  of  the  corruptionists  and 
which  only  succeeds  in  increasing  the  avenues  of 
bribery.  What  do  these  powerful  agencies  care  for  the 
regulation    of    their    service    by    a    government,    all 

275 


THE    LIBERATORS 

branches  of  which  they  control  and  under  which  they 
can  defy  the  people  with  impunity  ? 

"Our  own  recent  State  regulation  laws  are  probably 
as  complete  as  can  be  devised,  but  their  application 
and  enforcement  are  dependent  entirely  upon  the  ebb 
and  flow  of  the  political  tide  and  upon  the  character 
of  the  men  who  get  into  office.  What  may  be  reason- 
able rates  and  fair  capitalization  in  the  opinion  of  one 
set  of  administrative  officers  may  be  considered  most 
unreasonable  by  another  set.  The  two-cent  rate  laws 
are  illustrations  of  the  uncertainties  of  regulation.  In 
thickly  populated  New  York  State  our  former  gover- 
nor considered  a  two-cent  rate  law  unfair  to  the  rail- 
roads for  the  reason  that  the  rate  was  too  low,  while 
in  sparsely  settled  Nebraska  the  officials  consider  two 
cents  a  mile  an  amply  adequate  rate.  Thus,  you  see, 
regulation  eternally  depends  upon  the  point  of  view 
or  interest  of  the  person  doing  the  regulating,  and  how- 
ever honest  such  person  may  be,  it  is  not  the  sort  of 
power  that  should  be  vested  in  individuals,  for  it  is 
manifestly  unfair  to  the  people  and  not  in  consonance 
with  any  tenet  of  popular  government. 

"You  may,  now  and  then,  win  a  popular  victory  over 
them  and  get  a  few  honest  men  in  office,  but  you  leave 
these  institutions  with  all  their  gigantic  strength  unim- 

276 


THE     LIBERATORS 

paired  for  future  raids  upon  the  people,  unless  you  take 
their  unfair,  undemocratic,  unjust  privileges  from  them 
forever. 

"There  can  be  no  peace  until  this  is  done, 
"Fifty  years  ago  the  great  Lincoln  declared  that  the 
nation  could  not  exist  half  slave  and  half  free.  Neither 
can  it  exist  with  half  of  its  functions  farmed  out  for 
criminal  uses  and  the  other  half  retained  for  govern- 
mental purposes. 

"Our  opponents  boast  about  the  economy  of  opera- 
tion under  private  ownership. 

"In  twenty  years  the  capitalization  of  the  public  util- 
ity companies  in  Greater  New  York  has  increased  over 
one  billion  of  dollars,  with  less  than  twenty  per  cent,  of 
that  sum  expended  for  improvements  and  extensions, 
and  all  of  such  properties  capable  of  being  reproduced 
at  the  par  value  of  their  stocks  and  bonds  twenty  years 
ago. 

"This  billion  of  dollars  is  a  direct  and  constant  tax 
tipon  every  inhabitant  of  the  city,  in  addition  to  the 
daily  tribute  paid  upon  the  legitimate  capitalization. 
Who  can  say  how  much  that  tax  will  be  increased  dur- 
ing the  next  twenty  years  if  private  ownership  con- 
tinues ? 


277 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"They  shout  'confiscation'  at  us,  but  we  do  not  intend 
to  confiscate  one  dollar's  worth  of  property,  nor  to  de- 
stroy or  injure  one  dollar's  worth  of  invested  capital. 
We  shall  obtain  a  constitutional  amendment  permitting 
the  people  to  vote  whatever  debt  they  choose  to  acquire 
these  utility  properties,  and  then  we  shall  take  them 
over  by  purchase  if  we  can,  by  condemnation  if  we 
must,  on  the  basis  of  a  valuation  which  the  average  net 
income  for  the  five  years  last  past  will  capitalize  at  six 
per  cent.  Surely  nothing  can  be  fairer  to  every  person 
who  has  a  dollar  invested  in  either  stocks  or  bonds  of 
any  of  such  corporations. 

*         *         *         * 

"I  am  glad  to  be  a  candidate  for  office  upon  the  plat- 
form of  this  new  organization,  for  it  is  the  only  declara- 
tion of  principles,  in  my  opinion,  under  which  any  hon- 
orable man  can  possibly  accept  a  position  of  public  trust 
at  the  present  time.  As  I  look  around  upon  the  noble 
men  and  women  who  have  espoused  this  cause  for 
years — many  of  them  pioneers  in  the  movement — and 
when  I  think  of  their  devoted  courage  and  sacrifices,  I 
feel  that  the  burning  words  of  Lowell  find  an  echo  in 
every  breast : 

"  'They  are  slaves  who  fear  to  speak 
For  the  fallen  and  the  weak ; 
They  are  slaves  who  will  not  choose 

278 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Hatred,  scoffiing  and  abuse 

Rather  than  in  silence  shrink 

From  the  truth  they  needs  must  think. 

They  are  slaves  who  dare  not  be 

In  the  right  with  two  or  three.' 
"These  men  and  women  are  the  pioneer  patriots  in 
this  crisis  of  our  nation's  affairs,  as  the  men  who  threw 
the  tea  into  Boston  Harbor  and  the  gallant  farmers  at 
Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill  were  the  pioneer  patriots 
of  the  Revolution,  and  as  Love  joy,  Garrison  and  Phil- 
lips were  the  pioneer  patriots  of  the  anti-slavery  cause. 
fAll  honor  to  these  new  patriots.  Their  courage,  their 
sacrifices,  their  patriotism  have  been  the  beacon  lights 
of  hope  that  have  shone  in  every  night  of  despair,  and 
when  freedom's  final  battle  shall  have  been  fought  and 
won,  to  them  should  be  accorded  the  honor  and  the 
glory." 

Many  times  during  the  delivery  of  the  speech  the 
vast  audience  rose  as  one  man  and  cheered.  When 
Randolph  appealed  to  the  people  of  New  York  to  set 
a  splendid  example  for  the  balance  of  the  country  they 
shook  the  rafters  with  their  mighty  yell.  But  when 
he  completed  his  address  every  person  arose  and,  after 
giving  him  three  tremendous  hurrahs,  with  one  accord 
sang  "America."  Then  followed  one  patriotic  air  after 
another  with    twenty-five    thousand    persons  singing. 

2/9 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  large  crowd  outside  took  up  the  refrain  and  for 
half  an  hour  no  religious  revival  meeting  ever  equaled 
in  earnestness  or  zeal  this  revival  meeting  of  American 
patriotism,  where  the  people  felt  that  they  were  com- 
ing into  their  own. 


280 


Chapteir  XXVII. 

As  Randolph  sat  in  his  office  the  next  morning  read- 
ing; his  mail  a  messenger  entered  and  gave  him  a  small 
package,  stating  that  he  had  been  directed  to  deliver  it 
in  person. 

Randolph  thanked  him  and  opened  the  wrapper.  In 
it  he  found  a  copy  of  "The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Repub- 
lic," bound  in  Japan  vellum  and  beautifully  illustrated. 
A  dark  crimson  ribbon  was  folded  between  the  pages, 
and  Randolph  observed  that  certain  lines  in  two  stanzas 
were  underscored.  He  read  them  through  carefully 
and  wondered  who  could  have  sent  him  the  book.  Then 
he  read  aloud : 

"I  have  read  a  fiery  gospel  writ  in  burnished  rows 

of  steel : 
As  ye  deal  with  my  contemners,  so  with  you  my 

grace  shall  deal; 
Let  the  hero,  horn  of  woman,  crush  the  serpent 
with  his  heel. 

Since  God  is  marching  on." 

,  "In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  bom  across 
the  sea, 

281 


THE    LIBERATORS 

With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  that  transfigures  you 

and  me ; 
As  he  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make 

men  free. 

While  God  is  marching  on." 

As  he  reread  the  marked  stanzas  the  vision  of  Vir- 
ginia Ames  stood  before  him.  He  saw  her  as  she 
looked  that  day  at  Seven  Falls  when  she  told  him  that 
he  must  follow  his  father's  behest,  anything  else 
would  be  sacrilege.  Then  he  recalled  what  she  had 
added :    "Don't  get  too  far  away  from  us." 

No  one  realized  as  fully  as  he  did  how  very  far  he 
had  got  away  from  the  Ameses.  What  a  vast  gulf  sep- 
arated them !  Yet,  with  psychic  intuition,  he  felt  certain 
that  Virginia  had  sent  him  the  little  book.  But  was 
she  not  in  Europe  ?  He  had  not  heard  of  her  return  or 
of  her  contemplated  return;  though  he  had  been  too 
busy  with  his  campaign  for  three  weeks  to  call  at  the 
Hardings  or  on  Mrs.  Strong. 

At  the  moment  Randolph  was  opening  the  little 
package  in  his  office,  a  far  different  scene  was  being 
enacted  across  the  street,  in  the  sanctum  of  Charles 
Henry  Ames.  Henderson  had  reported  to  him  that 
Frederic  had  taken  Virginia  to  Randolph's  meet- 
ing the  night  before,  and  he  sent  for  Frederic  to  come 

2S2 


THE    LIBERATORS 
to  his  office.     When  the  younger  Ames  arrived  he 
found  his  father  white  with  rage,  and  he  did  not  have 
long  to  wait  to  ascertain  the  cause. 

"By  what  authority  did  you  take  Virginia  to  that 
sociaHst  meeting  last  night?"  Mr.  Ames  asi<ed.  "Don't 
you  know  that  I  have  forbidden  her  to  see  that  fellow 
Randolph  or  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him?"  he 
added,  without  giving  the  other  a  chance  to  reply. 

"I  knew  you  did  not  wish  her  to  associate  with  Ran- 
dolph, but  I  could  not  see  any  harm  in  taking  her  to 
the  meeting.  She  pleaded  with  me  to  take  her  and  I 
consented.  I  am  very  sorry,  sir,  if  I  have  done  any- 
thing to  displease  you." 

"It  is  thoroughly  displeasing  to  me  and  I  want  you 
to  remember  in  the  future  that  I  wish  none  of  my 
family  to  have  anything  to  do  with  Randolph  or  his 
meetings  or  his  writings."  And  with  a  gesture  of 
impatience  he  dismissed  his  son. 

The  next  day  Virginia  was  sent  to  Amesmount, 
ostensibly  to  recuperate  her  health. 

Election  day  came  and  went  and  with  it  scenes  to 
which  political  New  York  was  little  accustomed.  Tam- 
many Hall  had  often  been  obliged  to  face  popular  up- 
nsings  against  its  rule,  and  several  times  it  had  been 
defeated  when  the  opposition  was  united  against  it; 

283 


THE    LIBERATORS 

but  this  year,  with  a  complete  fusion  with  the  Repub- 
lican organization,  with  an  unlimited  amount  of  money, 
with  the  most  superb  organization  for  election  day 
that  famous  body  ever  had  possessed,  the  Tammany 
leaders  laughed  at  the  idea  of  defeat. 

But  when  they  saw  hundreds  of  people  at  every 
polling  place  waiting  to  cast  an  early  ballot ;  when 
their  district  workers  could  get  no  information  as  to 
how  the  laboring  people  were  voting*.;  when  they  saw 
the  great  middle  class  of  New  Yorkers  turn  out  to 
vote  as  they  had  never  done  before,  then  Tammany 
Hall  became  alarmed,  and  by  noon  of  election  day  there 
was  a  general  panic  among  the  district  leaders.  In 
vain  they  attempted  to  stem  the  tide  of  defeat  by  the 
free  use  of  money.  They  employed  for  the  day  sev- 
eral of  those  venal  and  disloyal  labor  leaders  who  dis- 
honor the  noble  cause  of  labor,  at  wages  that  would 
have  been  considered  munificent  for  six  months  in  reg- 
ular employment — but  it  was  of  no  avail.  The  labor- 
ing classes  and  the  small  property  owners,  together 
with  the  loyal  citizens  in  other  classes,  united  solidly 
for  free  government,  and  when  nightfall  came  the 
election  returns  showed  an  overwhelming  victory  for 
patriotism  over  greed.  Tammany  succeeded  in  hold- 
ing only  two  assembly  districts  in  line;  all  the  others 
gave  large  majorities  to  the  People's  Alliance,  which 

284 


THE    LIBERATORS 

elected  every  candidate  for  the  Senate  and  all  but  two 
for  the  Assembly. 

Randolph  ran  far  ahead  of  any  other  candidate  on 
his  ticket,  and  was  showered  with  congratulations 
from  every  section  of  the  country  where  patriots  were 
enlisted  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 

Proud  though  he  was  of  his  splendid  victory,  he  was 
heartsick  over  his  prolonged  separation  from  Vir- 
ginia. The  next  night,  disregarding  the  demands  of 
overtaxed  nature  for  rest,  he  went  to  Mrs.  Strong's 
house  to  learn  what  he  could  concerning  her.  All 
that  could  be  told  him  was  that  she  had  returned  from 
Europe  and  had  been  sent  to  the  Ames  country  home 
on  account  of  her  health ;  but  that  she  could  not  be 
seriously  ill,  as  the  other  members  of  the  family  were 
in  the  city,  and  Mrs.  Ames  was  preparing  for  the 
opening  of  the  social  season. 

That  night  the  god  of  sleep  never  crossed  the  thres- 
hold of  George  Randolph's  bedchamber,  and  the  next 
day  found  him  at  the  gates  of  Amesmount. 


28s 


Chapter  XXVIII. 

The  servants  at  Amesmount  all  knew  Randolph, 
and  he  found  no  difficulty  in  having  his  card  conveyed 
to  Virginia.  He  was  promptly  shown  into  the  library 
on  the  first  floor,  where,  in  a  negligee  gown  of  deli- 
cate blue  China  silk,  half  veiled  in  creamy  lace,  she 
was  reclining  among  the  pillows  of  a  large  sofa  with  a 
copy  of  Max  Miiller's  "Memories"  in  her  hand.  It 
was  the  book  which  he  had  given  her  soon  after  their 
return  from  Italy. 

Randolph  greeted  her  with  suppressed  emotion, 
insisting  that  she  must  not  get  up  or  disturb  herself, 
and  they  awaited  the  departure  of  her  attendant  before 
continuing  the  conversation. 

Then  she  gravely  shook  her  head  and  with  a  look 
of  inexpressible  sadness  said  to  him : 

"You  should  not  have  come  here.  Don't  you  know 
that  I  am  forbidden  to  see  you?  This  visit  may  cause 
both  of  us  much  unhappiness." 

The  same  sweetness  as  of  old  radiated  from  her 
being.  Her  eyes  had  the  same  fathomless  depths,  but 
they  were  unnaturally  bright.  Her  cheeks  were  thin 
and  pale  and  her  whole  appearance  was  so  fragile  as 
to  cause  Randolph  the  most  acute  alarm. 

286 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Drawing  his  chair  to  the  side  of  her  couch  he  looked 
at  her  tenderly  and  exclaimed : 

"This  separation  from  you  is  intolerable !" 

"Yes,  dear  George,  but  there  is  nothing  that  we 
can  do."  Her  tone  of  gentle  resignation  was  far  sad- 
der than  tears. 

"I  love  you,  Virginia,"  he  said  simply,  "and  I  feel 
— I  feel  that  you  care  for  me." 

"You  know "     She  did  not  finish  the  sentence, 

but  her  soft  eyes  were  raised  to  his  in  a  look  of  inex- 
pressible tenderness  and  trust. 

"I  refrained  from  making  a  formal  request  for  your 
hand  before  you  went  abroad,  hoping  all  the  while  that 
in  a  short  time  my  position  would  be  such  as  to  warrant 
me  in  approaching  both  you  and  your  father.  But  have 
we  not  made  sacrifices  enough  on  the  altar  of  filial 
duty  ?  I  came  to  you  to-day  to  ask  you  to  be  mine  now 
— mine  forever,  to  end  this  heartbreaking  separation. 
You  know  that  I  love  you  with  a  high  and  holy  love — 
a  love  that  will  protect  and  exalt  you  as  long  as  we 
live.  Why  should  we  let  anyone  or  anything  stand 
longer  between  us  and  the  happiness  that  should  be 
ours?  Let  us  minister  to  our  own  souls  now,  and  no 
more  sacrifice  our  love  to  feed  the  ambitions  and  the 
selfishness  of  others.  Come  with  me  to  the  peaceful 
prairies  of  Illinois;  to  the  gorgeous  flower  beds  of 

287 


THE    LIBERATORS 

California ;  any  spot  you  please  where  I  can  love  you 
and  take  care  of  you  and  bring  you  back  to  health." 

She  looked  at  him  long  in  silence,  her  face  alight 
with  love  and  trust  and  pride  in  him.  Then  her  eyes 
slowly  filled  with  tears  and  she  buried  her  face  in  the 
pillows  and  sobbed.  He  took  her  in  his  arms,  sooth- 
ing her  with  gentle  and  endearing  words  until  the 
storm  of  pent-up  feeling  had  spent  its  force. 

With  tear-stained  cheek  and  quivering  voice  she  said 
to  him: 

"Don't  you  know,  George,  how  impossible  it  would 
be  for  me  to  marry  without  my  father's  consent?  I 
would  gladly  go  with  you  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  and 
make  'thy  people  my  people  and  thy  God  my  God'; 
but  it  must  be  with  my  father's  blessing.  He  has 
broken  sadly  during  the  last  year,  and  if  any  act  of 
mine  were  to  injure  his  health  or  hasten  his  death  I 
should  be  miserable  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  Get  his 
consent,  dear  George,  and  no  wedding  day  will  be 
too  soon  for  me." 

"But  that  is  impossible,  my  darling.  I  doubt  if  he 
would  even  grant  me  an  interview.  When  he  has 
prohibited  your  seeing  me  or  communicating  with  me, 
I  have  small  hope  of  getting  his  consent  to  marry  you. 
However,  if  you  bid  me  to  do  so,  I  will  make  every 
possible  effort  to  win  his  assent,  though  I  am  con- 

288 


THE    LIBERATORS 

vineed  that  it  requires  the  strength  that  moves  moun- 
tains.   Suppose  I  fail,  what  then  ?" 

"Oh,  let  us  wait  on  that,"  she  sighed.  "You  are 
so  strong  and  noble  that  you  will  not  fail.  But  come, 
George,  you  must  go  now.  The  assent  which  we 
desire  would  never  be  given  if  your  visit  here  to-day 
should  become  known  to  my  father.  I  would  love  to 
have  a  long  talk  with  you,  for — oh,  I  have  missed  you 
so!    But  it  is  best  that  you  should  go." 

He  knelt  by  her  couch  and  his  lips  sealed  the  beau- 
tiful lips  which  had  so  lovingly  dismissed  him.  Time 
stood  still,  the  world  was  forgotten  and  the  heart  of 
each  beat  rhythmically  with  that  of  the  other. 

At  three  o'clock  that  afternoon  the  messenger  in 
the  waiting  roomi  of  Charles  Henry  Ames  took  the 
card  of  George  Randolph  to  that  magnate.  Much  to 
the  surprise  of  Randolph  he  was  immediately  escorted 
into  Mr.  Ames's  private  office,  and  still  more  surpris- 
ing was  the  cordial  reception  which  he  received.  It 
was  evident  that  Mr.  Ames  was  desirous  of  pleasing 
him,  and  he  never  had  seen  that  gentleman  in  a  more 
amiable  or  gracious  mood. 

Randolph  was,  as  yet,  too  unsophisticated  in  public 
affairs  to  know  that  George  Randolph,  State  Senator 
in  the  New  York  Senate  for  two  years,  and  the  leader 

289 


THE    LIBERATORS 

of  a  practically  solid  delegation  from  the  city  of  Greater 
New  York,  was  a  vastly  more  important  man  to  the 
private  owners  of  public  utility  corporations  than  was 
George  Randolph,  "the  briefless  lawyer  and  socialistic 
agitator,"  as  some  of  the  corporation  owners  had  been 
pleased  to  call  him  a  few  days  before.  To-day  they 
referred  respectfully  to  him  as  "Senator  Randolph." 
The  owners  of  these  corporations  had  never  yet 
found  a  public  official  who  could  not  be  secured  to 
support  their  cause,  and  they  had  already  laid  their 
plans  to  capture  Randolph  and  his  colleagues, 

Randolph  was  so  sincere  and  direct  himself  in  every 
relation  of  life  that  he  neither  knew  nor  understood  the 
machinations  of  the  Captains  of  Industry  to  obtain 
and  keep  control  of  all  legislative  bodies  in  the  United 
States.  He  was  unaware  of  the  little  memorandum 
book  which  each  captain  kept,  in  which  were  inscribed 
the  names  of  the  members  of  Congress  and  State  Leg- 
islatures and  oftentimes  judges  of  the  higher  courts, 
whom  such  captain  and  his  allied  interests  could  con- 
trol, and  of  other  legislators  and  judges  who  were 
controlled  by  other  Captains  of  Industry  in  the  com- 
munity-of-interest  scheme  for  operating  all  govern- 
ments and  each  branch  of  every  government,  for  the 
sole  benefit  of  all  allied  Captains  of  Industry. 

He  did  not  know  that  on  the  very  forenoon  of  that 

290 


THE    LIBERATORS 

same  day  a  dozen  of  these  gentlemen  had  held  an 
extended  conference  to  devise  ways  and  means  of  list- 
ing the  recently  elected  members  of  the  Legislature 
from  New  York  City  in  the  little  memorandum  book 
of  some  one  or  more  of  them,  and  that  in  the  division 
of  labor  he  had  been  assigned  to  Charles  Henry  Ames 
to  land  and  to  list.  Neither  did  he  know  that  his  high 
and  holy  love  for  Virginia  Ames  was  counted  upon 
to  do  much  in  facilitating  the  landing  and  the  listing 
operation. 

"Good  afternoon,  George,"  said  Mr.  Ames,  as  he 
arose  and  extended  his  hand  to  greet  his  visitor.  "I 
was  intending  to  call  on  you  in  a  day  or  so  to  extend 
my  congratulations.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  and  I 
wish  you  a  successful  career  in  the  State  Senate."  He 
addressed  Randolph  cordially,  but  there  was  a  note 
of  insincerity  in  his  manner  which  the  quick  intuition 
of  Randolph  caught  instantly. 

"I  thank  you  for  your  good  wishes,"  replied  Ran- 
dolph, as  he  took  the  proffered  hand.  "I  hope  your 
family  are  all  well." 

"Yes,  except  Virginia.  She  has  been  ailing  so  much 
recently  that  I  sent  her  into  the  country  where  I  am 
sure  she  will  soon  recover  her  health." 

"It  is  about  her  that  I  came  to  you  to-day,  sir.  I 
have  just  returned  from  Amesmount,  where  I  asked 

291 


THE    LIBERATORS 

her  to  become  my  wife,  and  with  your  consent  she  is 
wilHng  to  do  so.  I  came  here  to  ask  you  for  her  hand 
and  to  tell  you  that  I  love  her  devotedly." 

Mr.  Ames  flushed  to  the  roots  of  his  hair.  He  gave 
a  little  nervous  cough  to  assist  him  in  regaining  his 
equilibrium.  It  was  part  of  his  plan  and  greatly  to 
his  interest  to  have  Randolph's  friendship.  He  had  no 
scruples  about  driving  a  bargain  with  Randolph  for 
his  support  in  the  Legislature,  even  though  the  consid- 
eration of  such  a  bargain  was  the  hand  of  Virginia, 
Not  that  Charles  Henry  Ames  would  have  forced  his 
daughter  to  marry  any  man  against  her  will,  much  less 
an  unworthy  man ;  but  he  was  willing  to  turn  the 
mutual  love  of  this  young  couple  to  his  own  monetary 
advantage  in  the  pending  crisis  of  threatened  munici- 
pal ownership  of  his  New  York  utility  properties. 

"You  are  quite  worthy  of  my  daughter,  George,  in 
every  way  except  in  your  peculiar  and  socialistic  views 
upon  government.  I  presume  you  have  about  run 
your  course  in  that  direction  and  that  the  fad — for 
the  recent  movement  can  be  nothing  more — has  almost 
spent  its  force.  If  you  have  decided  to  uphold  the 
rational  views  of  the  business  community  on  these 
questions,  instead  of  the  wild  doctrines  of  theorists 
and  dreamers,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  give  my  consent 
to  your  marriage  with  Virginia." 

292 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Randolph's  cheeks  burned  with  anger  and  his  eyes 
shot  forth  ominous  flashes  of  wrath. 

"And  suppose  I  tell  you  that  I  will  not,  cannot,  give 
up  my  peculiar  and  socialistic  views  upon  thcf^.e  ques- 
tions; and  cannot,  will  not,  adopt  the  views  that  you 
call  rational  and  that  are  entertained  by  you  and 
your  associates — what  then?" 

"I  could  never  consent  to  a  daughter  of  mine  marry- 
ing a  socialist.  Were  I  to  do  so  I  should  feel  culpable 
for  assisting  in  the  overthrow  of  orderly  government 
and  for  helping  to  bring  children  into  the  world  who 
would  be  governmental  heretics." 

Randolph  set  his  jaw  firmly  and  looked  straight 
into  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Ames. 

"My  views  upon  these  governmental  questions  are 
well  known  to  you.  I  am  no  Galileo  to  change  the 
preachment  of  my  solemn  convictions  to  avoid  suffer- 
ing or  pain.  If  need  be,  I  would  burn  at  the  stake 
like  a  Bruno  rather  than  retract  one  jot  or  tittle  of  my 
mental  and  moral  beliefs.  But  what  right  have  you  to 
light  the  fagots  of  persecution  around  the  altar  of 
love,  consecrated  by  the  pure  heart  and  noble  charac 
ter  of  your  daughter?  By  what  authority  do  you 
break  her  heart  and  shorten  her  life?  You  are  a 
man  of  culture,  refinement  and  elevated  domestic 
tastes.     Is  it  possible  that    the    ambition  of  vulgar 

293 


THE    LIBERATORS 

money-getting  has  so  warped  your  natural  impulses 
that  you  have  no  concern  for  the  affections  of  your 
own  flesh  and  blood  ?  Is  it  possible  that  the  most  beau- 
tiful sentiments  of  the  human  soul  are  to  be  bartered 
away  and  traded  upon  to  protect  property  and  to 
increase  dividends  on  stocks?  Have  you  no  remem- 
brance of  your  own  first  love,  of  the  high  aspirations 
and  noble  purposes  with  which  it  inspired  you?  I 
love  your  daughter  and  I  know  that  my  love  is  recipro- 
cated. I  implore  you  to  grant  your  consent  to  our 
marriage." 

Mr.  Ames  listened  to  this  impassioned  appeal  with 
stolid  indifference,  until  Randolph  referred  to  his  own 
first  love.  Then  a  shade  of  sadness  passed  over  his 
face.     When  Randolph  had  finished,  he  said: 

"I  am  sorry  that  you  cannot  see  your  way  clear  to 
adopt  the  business  view  of  these  public  questions.  Per- 
haps you  can  later.  I  am  compelled  to  ask  you  to 
excuse  me  from  further  conversation  to-day,  as  I 
have  several  gentlemen  waiting  to  see  me  on  important 
business  matters.  I  hope  you  will  call  on  me  again 
soon." 

Randolph  shook  the  extended  hand  and  departed. 
He  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  changed  appear- 
ance of  Mr.  Ames,  as  it  was  evident  that  the  enor- 
mous strain  and  worry  of  business  were  making  seri- 

294 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ous  inroads  on  his  former  iron  constitution.  Ran- 
dolph knew  that  the  result  of  the  recent  election  was 
a  severe  blow  to  him,  and  he  felt  a  pang  of  genuine 
sorrow  that  fate  should  have  compelled  him  to  be  the 
instrument  to  deal  one  wound  to  this  man  who  had 
been  his  friend.  He  appreciated  Mr.  Ames's  viewpoint 
on  these  public  questions  and  he  knew  his  convictions 
were  sincere,  however  erroneous,  narrow  and  unsym- 
pathetic they  might  appear.  To  Mr.  Ames  the  belief 
in  government  ownership  of  public  utilities  was  the 
rankest  heresy  imaginable,  and  Randolph  readily  un- 
derstood how  obnoxious  such  a  heretic  as  he  was  on 
these  questions  must  be  to  Mr.  Ames  as  a  possible  son- 
in-law. 

He  knew  that  Mr.  Ames  did  not  intend  that  he 
should  even  infer  that  his  daughter's  hand  was  a  mat- 
ter for  trade  or  barter,  for  he  was  aware  from  many 
past  evidences  of  good  will  that  Mr.  Ames  was  fond 
of  him,  and  that  his  views  on  these  public  questions 
constituted  his  sole  offense  in  the  eyes  of  Virginia's 
father.  And  he  felt  certain  that,  notwithstanding  his 
lack  of  wealth,  no  young  man's  suit  for  the  hand  of  a 
sweetheart  would  be  blessed  with  a  more  prompt  or 
more  cordial  consent  than  would  his,  if  he  could  but 
adopt  the  so-called  "business  view"  of  these  ques- 
tions. 

'  295 


THE    LIBERATORS 

But  he  could  not,  and  he  must  fight  this  battle  as 
well  as  many  others  in  his  own  way.  Sir  Galahad's 
words:  "My  strength  is  as  the  strength  of  ten,  be- 
cause my  heart  is  pure,"  ran  through  his  mind  as  he 
viewed  his  difficult  and  complicated  position. 

One  thing  in  the  interview  with  Mr.  Ames  gave 
him  great  comfort.  He  was  convinced  that  his  posi- 
tion and  strength  had  broken  down  the  battlements 
of  persecution,  and  that  whatever  pains  might  be  taken 
to  prevent  meetings  between  Virginia  and  himself, 
there  would  be  no  more  peremptory  orders  to  her  not 
to  communicate  or  associate  with  him.  So  in  this  tour- 
ney for  the  heart  and  hand  of  the  woman  he  loved, 
Randolph  had  outjousted  the  business  Colossus  of 
New  York,  however  much  more  skilful  or  powerful 
the  latter  might  be  in  some  other  field  of  human 
endeavor. 

As  soon  as  he  reached  the  street  he  went  directly 
to  a  florist's  shop  and  sent  Virginia  a  box  of  violets. 
Then  he  proceeded  to  his  office,  intending  to  visit  her 
at  Amesmount  the  next  day. 

Another  noon  found  him  again  in  the  gracefully 
winding  paths  of  the  Ames  country  place.  When  he 
handed  his  card  to  the  attendant  at  the  door  he  was  told 
that  Virginia  was  too  ill  to  see  any  person,  but  that 
Mrs.  Ames  was  there.    He  was  shown  into  the  library, 

296 


THE    LIBERATORS 

with  all  its  tender  memories  of  yesterday,  and  in 
a  few  moments  Mrs.  Ames  joined  him.  She  was 
careworn,  and  her  anxious  appearance  caused  Ran- 
dolph grave  apprehension, 

"Is  she  really  very  ill  ?"  he  asked. 
"Yes,  very  ill.  She  had  two  fainting  spells  last 
night,  and  we  were  hurriedly  summoned.  Poor  child ! 
Her  constitution  is  shattered,  and  Doctor  Smythe,  our 
family  physician,  tells  me  that  we  must  take  her  to 
Colorado  as  soon  as  she  is  able  to  travel,  as  she  needs 
the  bracing  air  of  the  mountains.  I  shall  leave  with 
her  in  a  few  days." 

"May  I  call  every  day  that  she  remains  here,"  he 
asked.    "It  would  give  me  great  comfort  to  do  so." 

"Certainly,"  Mrs.  Ames  replied.  "She  will  be  glad 
to  know  that  you  have  called  this  morning."  Then 
she  added,  "Virginia  has  told  me  everything  that 
passed  between  you  yesterday." 

Mrs.  Ames  was  summoned  to  the  sick  room,  and 
Randolph  went  out  into  the  grounds  of  Amesmount. 
Everywhere  he  strolled  were  familiar  nooks  and  by- 
paths and  rustic  seats,  from  all  of  which  arose  the 
image  of  the  girl  of  two  years  ago,  whose  sweetness 
and  grace  of  soul  and  mind  had  won  his  undying  love. 
He  could  not  bear  to  think  of  her  being  racked  with 
illness,  and  he  longed  to  caress  away  her  every  physi- 

297 


THE    LIBERATORS 

cal  pain.  He  passed  through  the  open  and  beautiful 
grounds  surrounding  the  house,  set  off  with  statues 
against  the  dark  foHage  and  embowered  in  summer 
with  flowers  of  brilHant  hue,  into  the  background  of 
the  silex,  the  maple,  the  larch,  the  willow  and  the  pine. 
He  caught  glimpses  of  the  Hudson,  and  recalled  that 
Virginia  had  told  him  there  was  nothing  in  Europe 
to  compare  with  its  classic  beauty.  He  remembered 
how  enthusiastically  she  had  read  to  him  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  Hudson  by  Mary  Clemmer  Ames,  in  "Vic- 
torie,"  and  the  words  now  rang  in  his  ears :  "Far  be- 
hind were  left  the  wooded  shore  of  Hoboken,  the  green 
heights  of  Weehawken,  as  we  rode  slowly  along  the 
castellated  banks  of  the  Hudson,  America's  classic 
river.  Her  regal  river,  beside  whose  delicious  waters 
genius  loves  to  abide  and  art  to  rear  its  palaces.  The 
river  of  all  times,  along  whose  shore  will  wander  the 
pilgrim  of  the  future  to  worship  beside  the  crumbling 
shrines  forever,  holy  as  the  mortal  home  of  the  im- 
mortal dead." 

He  went  to  the  edge  of  the  wooded  grounds  where 
he  got  a  glimpse  of  the  busy  world  beyond,  of  the 
boats  on  the  river  passing  to  and  from  the  distant 
metropolis ;  then  he  turned  back  into  this  modern 
Arcadia  where  the  living  memory  of  her  whom  he 
loved  was  in  every  shruB  and  tree  and  vine. 

298 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  loving  care  of  a  devoted  mother,  the  tender  at- 
tention of  a  devoted  lover,  and  the  wish  to  bless  the 
lives  of  both  had  their  tonic  effect  on  the  invalid, 
and  within  a  week  she  was  able  to  leave  her  bed.  Ran- 
dolph's first  interview  with  her,  brief  though  it  seemed 
to  him,  was  curtailed  by  Mrs.  Ames,  who  laughingly 
told  him  that  he  had  no  more  idea  of  time  than  he  had 
of  conformity  to  existing  political  conditions. 

The  next  week  Virginia  and  her  mother  left  for 
Colorado.  Randolph  made  so  many  farewell  visits  to 
Amesmount  that  Mrs.  Ames  declared  to  him  that  he 
held  the  record  over  the  farewell  tours  of  the  most 
popular  foreign  prima  donna. 

Mr.  Ames  was  not  altogether  a  philosophical  ob- 
server of  this  courtship  of  Randolph's,  but  chafing 
and  annoying  as  it  was  to  him,  he  could  not  jeopardize 
his  daughter's  life  by  prohibiting  it.  So  he  let  events 
take  their  course,  feeling  certain  that  she  would  never 
marry  without  his  consent,  and  not  wishing  to  break 
with  Randolph  at  this  time,  believing  that  the  young 
man  would  come  around  to  his  way  of  thinking  on 
public  questions  when  he  had  had  more  experience 
with  the  business  world. 


299 


Chaptek  XXIX. 

The  struggle  of  George  Randolph  and  his  colleagues 
from  New  York  City  to  secure  the  necessary  legis- 
lation for  acquiring  municipal  ownership  of  public 
utilities  forms  a  most  valuable  and  interesting  chapter 
in  the  political  history  of  New  York  State. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  tale  to  go  into  the  de- 
tails of  that  struggle,  for,  thrilling  though  these  legis- 
lators' experiences  were,  and  strenuous  as  their  lives, 
yet  the  narrator  might  as  well  undertake  to  chronicle 
the  history  of  the  separate  sands  of  the  sea  as  to  try 
to  tell  of  the  limitless  schemes  of  corruption,  of  cun- 
ning, of  deviltry,  of  criminality,  set  afoot  to  capture 
the  New  York  City  delegation  for  the  corporations. 

The  proportions  of  the  bribery  fund  were  enormous. 
Every  railroad,  every  steamship  line,  every  utility 
corporation  in  every  leading  city  of  the  United  States, 
every  trust  company  that  promoted  utility  companies, 
every  bank  that  held  their  securities,  every  insurance 
company  that  was  operated  for  its  promoters  instead 
of  for  its  policy-holders,  contributed  to  the  "slush 
fund"  at  Albany. 

The  most  skilful  lobbyists  from  every  part  of  the 
country  were  employed  to  go  to  Albany  and  remain 

300 


THE    LIBERATORS 

during  the  session.  The  bosses  of  Tammany  Hall 
and  of  the  RepubHcan  State  organization  were  given 
supreme  control  of  the  lobby  and  of  the  funds.  The 
campaign  was  to  be  so  directed  that  no  legislation  of 
any  kind  that  might  aid  municipal  ownership  should  be 
enacted.  Albany's  population  was  greatly  increased 
during  the  session  of  the  Legislature  and  the  local 
bank  deposits  showed  heavy  gains. 

Soon  after  the  session  began  Randolph  introduced 
two  bills  providing  for  amendments  to  the  Constitution 
of  the  State.  The  first  one  made  the  same  provision  for 
other  public  utility  plants  as  theretofore  existed  for 
water  plants,  namely,  that  the  people  of  any  city  or 
tqwn  might  vote  any  indebtedness  they  pleased  for  the 
constructing  or  acquiring  by  purchase  or  condem- 
nation of  any  light,  telephone,  telegraph,  street  railway, 
railway,  rapid-transit,  fuel,  gas  or  other  plant  neces- 
sary to  provide  the  public  with  means  of  quick  com- 
munication, rapid-transit,  cheap  light  and  fuel,  and 
to  promote  and  to  protect  the  sanitary  condition  of 
such  city  or  town. 

The  other  bill  expressly  gave  cities  and  towns  the 
right  to  acquire  by  condemnation  proceedings  any  such 
existing  plants  and  to  operate  the  same.  This  measure 
was  out  of  an  abundance  of  precaution,  to  forestall  any 

301 


THE    LIBERATORS 

possible  hostile  action  of  the  courts  along  that  line  in 
the  future. 

Randolph  then  introduced  a  legislative  measure  pro- 
viding that  where  such  plants  were  purchased  by 
agreement  of  parties,  or  were  secured  by  condemna- 
tion, the  maximum  of  value  should  be  the  amount 
which  the  net  earnings  of  such  plants,  for  the  average 
of  the  five  years  immediately  preceding  such  purchase 
or  condemnation,  would  capitalize  at  six  per  cent. 

All  that  the  ingenuity  of  minds  versed  in  every  art 
of  corruption  and  cunning  could  do  to  defeat  these 
measures  was  done.  Randolph  met  the  forces  of 
tremendous  wealth  with  tremendous  energy  and  cour- 
age. He  opposed  the  blandishments  of  their  pollut- 
ing promises  to  his  associates  with  his  splendid  exam- 
ple of  self-sacrifice  and  devotion  to  his  convictions. 
He  caucused  his  associates  every  day,  and  every  day 
showed  twenty  senators  and  fifty-eight  assemblymen 
from  New  York  City  in  a  solid  phalanx  for  the  people. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  session  he  had  ten  senators  and 
thirty  assemblymen  pledged  to  his  measures  from 
outside  New  York  City;  but  before  the  session  was 
two  months  old,  that  number  had  dwindled  to  eight 
senators  and  twenty-four  assemblymen,  which  left  him 
only  a  margin  of  three  in  the  Senate  and  of  seven  in 
the  Assembly. 

302 


THE    LIBERATORS 

The  lobbyists  now  turned  their  heavy  artillery  on 
the  Senate,  for  it  mattered  not  to  them  where  they 
drove  the  hole  into  the  enemy's  ship,  provided  it  was 
below  the  water  line,  and  they  chose  the  place  where 
they  supposed  the  armor  plate  was  weakest.  But 
early  in  the  session  Randolph  realized  that  he  must 
meet  money  with  wits,  and  with  his  twenty  solid  votes 
from  New  York  City  he  lacked  only  six  of  enough  to 
organize  and  control  the  Senate.  The  eight  members 
who  stood  firm  at  the  end  of  two  months  had  gone  in 
with  him  at  the  beginning  of  the  session,  and  he  had 
secured  for  them  the  chairmanships  of  choice  com- 
mittees, while  he  and  his  colleagues  stood  back  and 
asked  for  nothing  except  pledges  to  carry  their  munic- 
ipal ownership  measures.  The  same  tactics  had  been 
pursued  in  the  Assembly,  and  he  felt  as  secure  as  he 
could  feel  with  every  large  moneyed  interest  in  the 
United  States  arrayed  against  him. 

His  opponents  had  resorted  to  every  parliamentary 
ruse  known  to  the  most  astute  of  their  leaders  to  de- 
lay action  on  his  bills,  but  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  month  he  succeeded  in  bringing  them  before 
the  Senate  for  discussion.  He  opened  the  debate  in  a 
three-hours'  speech,  which  the  press  said  was  the 
greatest  political  oration  ever  delivered  in  the  legis- 
lative halls  of  New  York  State.     So  effective  was  his 

303 


THE    LIBERATORS 

powerful  plea  for  civic  liberty  that  one  of  the  two 
Tammany  Assemblymen,  who  listened  to  him  through- 
out, came  to  him  and  pledged  his  support  to  the  meas- 
ures, and,  notwithstanding  the  browbeating  and  bull- 
dozing of  the  boss  of  Tammany  Hall,  he  kept  his 
pledge. 

The  opponents  of  the  measures  undertook  to  talk 
them  to  death,  and  during  the  three  weeks  of  debate 
the  Republican  boss  so  far  succeeded  in  shaking  Ran- 
dolph's support  outside  New  York  City,  that  six  of 
the  eight  outside  senators  notified  him  that  the  con- 
stitutional amendments  must  be  made  to  apply  to  New 
York  City  only,  or  they  would  be  compelled  to  vote 
against  his  measures.  Randolph  tried  to  argue  them 
out  of  their  position,  and  endeavored  to  convince  them 
that  municipal  ownership  was  just  as  vital  to  their 
cities  as  to  New  York  City.  They  agreed  with  him 
perfectly  on  the  principles  involved.  "But,"  they  said, 
"we  have  been  notified  by  the  machine  in  our  counties 
that  if  we  let  these  measures  take  eflfect  to  include  our 
counties,  we  shall  be  driven  out  of  political  life.  Now 
this  municipal  ownership  question  was  not  an  issue  in 
our  election,  and  our  people  have  not  voted  on  it. 
We  will  stay  with  you  to  the  end  for  New  York  City, 
but  you  must  exclude  all  other  parts  of  the  State." 

Once  again  Randolph  was  made  to  feel  the  concrete 

304 


THE    LIBERATORS 

power  of  the  utility  corporations,  acting  through  the 
pohtical  machines  which  they  maintained;  and  with 
grief  at  the  result,  he  changed  his  amendment  to  apply 
only  to  cities  having  a  population  of  one  million  or 
more. 

At  the  end  of  the  fifth  month  all  of  his  measures 
passed  the  Senate  by  a  margin  of  three  and  went  over 
to  the  Assembly.  After  four  weeks  of  constant  fighting 
they  passed  the  Assembly  by  a  margin  of  four. 

The  constitutional  amendments  had  yet  to  pass  the 
Legislature  to  be  elected  the  second  year  afterward,  as 
well  as  to  be  ratified  by  the  people  before  they  could 
become  operative,  and  Randolph  began  to  realize  the 
titanic  character  of  the  struggle  before  him.  The 
Legislature  to  be  elected  in  the  fall  must  be  controlled 
to  keep  it  from  repealing  the  bills  enacted  by  this 
Legislature,  and  the  Legislature  to  be  elected  the  next 
year — when  senators  were  to  be  chosen — must  be  con- 
trolled again  to  enact  the  amendments  before  the  peo- 
ple could  vote  upon  them.  He  saw  clearly  enough 
that  the  contest  must  be  carried  into  the  State  and  that 
every  city  must  be  aroused,  and  this  he  resolved  should 
be  his  work  for  the  next  four  months. 

Randolph's  recent  letters  from  Colorado  were  most 
disquieting.  Virginia  had  suflfered  a  relapse,  and  her 
vitality  was  at  a  low  ebb.   The  next  day  after  the  As- 

305 


THE    LIBERATORS 

sembly  passed  his  bills,  he  started  for  the  West,  and  as 
rapidly  as  steam  and  steel  could  carry  him  he  hastened 
to  the  side  of  the  girl  whom  he  loved. 


306 


Chapter  XXX. 

"Around  'this  visible  diurnal  sphere,' 

There  floats  a  World  that  girds  us  like  the  space  ; 
On  wandering  clouds  and  gliding  beams  career 

Its  ever-moving  murmurous  populace. 
There,  all  the  lovelier  thoughts  conceived  below 

Ascending  live,  and  in  celestial  shapes. 
To  that  bright  World,  O  Mortal,  wouldst  thou  go? 

Bind  but  thy  senses,  and  thy  soul  escapes : 
To  care,  to  sin,  to  passion  close  thine  eyes : 

Sleep  in  the  flesh,  and  see  the  Dreamland  rise !" 
Randolph  read  this  youthful  tribute  of  Bulwer  to 
the  "Ideal  World,"  and  closed  the  book. 

"I  do  not  need  to  sleep  in  the  flesh,  for  this  is  in- 
deed dreamland  to  me.  To  be  with  you,  to  nurse  you 
back  to  health,  to  look  into  those  dear  eyes,  the  memory 
of  which  has  always  stirred  my  deepest  feeling  and 
inspired  my  highest  thoughts,  to  love  you  and  be  loved 
in  return — what  poet's  fancy  could  paint  a  fairer  Eden 
of  bliss?" 

She  stretched  out  her  hands,  half  transparent  with 
illness,  and  he  knelt  by  her  couch  and  embraced  her. 

"How  good  of  you  to  come  to  me,  dear,"  she  said, 
"and  when  you  were  so  busy,  too!     I  shall  soon  be 

207 


THE    LIBERATORS 

well  now,  for  how  can  I  be  ill  when  you  are  with  me? 
I  am  very  much  better  to-day,  and  to-morrow  I  hope  I 
can  go  driving  with  you." 

She  smiled  bravely,  but  he  could  see  that  she  was 
still  very  weak. 

"I  shall  stay  by  your  side  until  you  are  well  again," 
he  said  tenderly.  "You  must  sleep  now,  and  to-mor- 
row— if  it  is  warm  and  pleasant — we  v/ill  take  a  short 
drive." 

This  was  his  second  visit  to  her  since  his  arrival 
at  Colorado  Springs  the  day  before. 

The  early  days  of  July  in  the  Colorado  Mountains 
and  foothills  are  a  delight  to  all  lovers  of  nature. 
Wild  flowers  of  brilliant  hue  cover  dell  and  glen  and 
mountainside,  and  their  variegated  colors,  in  contrast 
with  the  deep  blue  of  the  skies,  form  a  picture  gor- 
geous and  appealing  to  every  beholder.  Then  the  clear, 
cool,  stimulating  air  causes  every  fibre  of  one's  being 
to  tingle  with  new  life. 

Every  day  these  lovers  drove  to  some  new  spot; 
through  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  with  its  weird  figures, 
both  fantastic  and  sublime ;  to  Prospect  Lake ;  through 
Palmer  Park,  a  vast  trail  of  Nature's  handiwork;  or 
out  upon  the  rimless  plains,  all  depending  upon  the 
strength  of  Virginia.  One  day  she  besought  Ran- 
dolph to  take  her  over  the  high  drive  to  the  top  of 

308 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Seven  Falls,  to  the  meadow  where  they  had  climbed 
three  years  before,  where  flowed  the  stream  that  had 
carried  the  hero  and  heroine  of  her  legend  to  safety. 

"You  cannot  endure  such  a  hard  trip,  my  dear,"  he 
said  to  her. 

"Oh,  yes  I  can !  I  am  quite  strong  to-day.  You 
always  drive  so  carefully  that  I  never  get  tired.  Do 
take  me  there!  That  is  the  spot  I  love  best  of  any 
around  here." 

With  many  misgivings,  he  acceded.  They  drove 
through  the  sublime  gorge  of  North  Cheyenne  Canon 
and  on  up  the  mountainside  until  they  reached  the 
road  that  branches  off  to  the  top  of  the  falls,  thence 
over  this  road  a  short  distance  to  the  placid  stream 
which  afterward  goes  plunging  down  the  mountain 
in  tempestuous  torrents. 

The  day  was  clear  and  warm, 

"Please,  George  dear,  let  me  get  out  and  sit  by  the 
stream  while  you  gather  some  of  those  beautiful 
columbines  for  me." 

He  took  the  carriage  robes  and  made  a  comfortable 
seat  for  her,  then  taking  her  in  his  arms  carried  her  to 
it.  He  arranged  the  robes  so  that  she  could  recline 
against  a  tree  and,  after  tying  his  horses,  he  gathered 
for  her  a  large  bunch  of  blue  and  white  columbines. 

Her  eyes  shone  with  joy  as  he  gave  them  to  her; 

309 


THE    LIBERATORS 

but  the  next  moment  his  heart  stood  still — for,  without 
a  sound,  she  fell  over  limp  and  apparently  lifeless  on 
the  ground.  Half  frenzied  with  fear,  he  leaned  over 
her  and  felt  for  her  pulse.  It  was  several  seconds  be- 
fore he  could  catch  even  a  faint  quiver.  He  called  to 
her:  "Virginia,  Virginia,  Virginia!"  But  no  re- 
sponse came.  Her  eyes  were  closed.  He  rushed  to 
the  carriage  to  get  the  drinking  cup  which  they  always 
carried,  and  filling  it  from  the  brook,  he  dashed  water 
in  her  face,  bathed  her  temples  and  tried  to  force 
some  of  the  water  between  her  lips,  for  he  had  no 
stimulants  of  any  kind.  He  called  aloud,  but  it  was 
late  in  the  afternoon  and  in  that  secluded  spot  there 
was  no  one  to  respond. 

In  this  hour  of  trouble  and  need  he  instinctively 
cried  to  God  whom  he  had  been  taught  to  pray  to 
when  he  was  a  little  child,  imploring  His  supermortal 
aid  in  restoring  Virginia  to  consciousness.  He  bathed 
her  forehead  again  and  again,  and  chafed  her  limp 
hands.  Presently  he  detected  a  distinct  throb  of  the 
pulse,  then  another  and  another,  and  she  slowly 
opened  her  eyes. 

"Thank  God!"  he  breathed,  then  called  to  her  with 
endearing  words  across  the  gulf  of  semi-consciousness 
that  still  divided  them. 

As    returning   reason    regained    its   dominion,    she 

310 


THE    LIBERATORS 

realized  where  she  was  and  gave  him  a  look  of  infinite 
love  and  sweetness. 

"I  felt  myself  falling  over  a  high  precipice,"  she 
whispered,  "and  you  were  standing  alone,  crying  and 
wringing  your  hands.  How  terrible  it  was!  I 
seemed  to  be  dead  and  in  another  world.  Oh,  it  is 
good  to  be  with  you  again  in  the  sunshine!"  She 
seemed  pathetically  childlike  as  she  clung  to  him. 

He  held  her  a  long  time  in  his  arms,  while  the  day 
sank  into  twilight,  waiting  for  nature  to  give  her 
strength  enough  so  that  he  might  take  her  home.  The 
evening  star  become  palely  visible  in  the  west. 

"Look,"  she  said,  pointing  toward  it.  "I  never  see 
the  constant  vigil  of  the  stars  that  I  do  not  think  of 
you  and  your  eternal,  constant  love  and  courage. 
Do  you  know,"  she  went  on  in  weak  tones,  but  with 
more  of  her  old-time  vital  smile  than  he  had  seen  on 
her  face  for  two  years,  "this  is  the  first  moment  since  I 
have  been  ill  that  I  have  really  felt  that  I  should  get 
well.  Now  I  am  sure  of  it.  Isn't  it  strange?  I  must 
have  absorbed  some  of  your  splendid  strength." 

Darkness  was  fast  gathering  in  the  mountains  when 
Randolph  lifted  her  into  the  carriage.  How  carefully 
he  drove  over  those  ten  miles  of  road  to  Colorado 
Springs !  Supported  by  his  arm,  she  rested  her  head 
against   his   shoulder   like    a   tired   child.      Soon   she 

311 


THE    LIBERATORS 

was  fast  asleep,  and  did  not  awaken  until  they  reached 
the  city. 

Randolph  lived  over  again  the  dreadful  ordeal  of  her 
swoon.  Suppose  she  had  died — what  would  have  be- 
come of  him  and  his  ambition?  But  he  went  no  fur- 
ther with  his  questioning.  It  was  enough  that  she  was 
alive  and  with  him. 

The  next  morning  she  was  in  better  spirits  than  at 
any  time  during  her  illness,  and  day  by  day  she  gained 
in  health  and  strength. 

A  week  after  the  day  at  Seven  Falls,  on  his  return 
from  a  drive  with  Virginia,  Randolph  found  a  mes- 
sage from  Mrs.  Ames  to  come  to  her  apartments  im- 
mediately. He  found  her  in  deep  grief  and  much 
agitated.  She  handed  him  a  telegram  stating  that 
Mr.  Ames  had  that  day  been  stricken  with  paralysis, 
but  that  the  attending  physicians  had  hopes  of  his  re- 
covery. 

"Of  course  I  must  go  to  him  at  once,  but  what  am 
I  to  do  with  Virginia?  She  is  not  strong  enough  to 
take  the  trip." 

"If  you  will  ask  your  friend,  Mrs.  Elder,  who  lives 
in  the  hotel,  to  chaperon  her  during  your  absence,  with 
your  permission  I  shall  remain  and  look  after  her." 

The  serious  illness  of  Mr.  Ames  was  kept  from  Vir- 

312 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ginia's  knowledge,  and  her  mother's  hurried  visit  to 
New  York  was  assigned  to  other  causes. 

Five  days  later,  on  a  Monday  morning,  another  tele- 
gram came,  this  time  to  Randolph,  stating  that  a  sec- 
ond stroke  had  resulted  in  Mr.  Ames's  death. 

He  went  immediately  to  Virginia's  apartments  and 
told  her  the  whole  story,  with  all  the  gentleness  of  his 
nature.  Randolph  had  learned  long  before  that  the 
great  shocks  of  life  are  more  easily  sustained  by 
knowing  the  whole  truth  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence 
of  calamity,  rather  than  by  having  it  veiled  or  hidden. 
He  also  knew  the  superb  courage  and  fortitude  of 
women  when  treated  as  strong  human  beings  and  not 
as  hothouse  plants,  to  be  eternally  shielded  from  the 
storms  of  life. 

The  shock  was  indeed  great  to  her,  and  she  was 
overcome  with  profound  grief,  for  her  father  had  been 
very  dear  to  her. 

When  she  had  recovered  composure  enough  to 
speak,  she  said: 

"I  must  go  home  immediately." 

Randolph  made  no  reply,  but  sent  at  once  for 
her  physician  to  advise  her  on  that  point.  After 
mature  reflection,  the  doctor,  who  understood  the  hu- 
man heart  as  well  as  he  did  the  human  anatomy,  and 
who  was  a  master  in  both  fields  of  knowledge,  bluntly 


THE    LIBERATORS 

told  Randolph  that  she  could  go  to  New  York  if  he 
would  take  her  there  and  bring  her  back  himself. 

Randolph  sent  a  telegram  to  Frederic  Ames  that 
they  would  leave  on  the  limited  train  at  noon,  arriv- 
ing in  New  York  Wednesday  evening. 


314 


Chapter  XXXI. 

The  State  of  New  York  was  more  aroused  over  the 
pending  election  for  members  of  the  Assembly  than 
it  had  been  by  any  election  in  its  history.  The  Peo- 
ple's Alliance  extended  its  organization  into  every  city 
having  a  population  of  over  twenty  thousand,  and 
many  of  the  smaller  cities  and  towns  voluntarily 
adopted  the  principles  of  the  Alliance  and  entered  bat- 
tle for  them. 

September  found  Randolph  in  the  midst  of  the  con- 
test in  the  State.  He  was  booked  for  two  speeches  a 
day  for  four  weeks,  when  he  was  to  return  and  de- 
vote the  remaining  time  to  New  York  City. 

The  utility  corporations  appreciated  his  towering 
strength,  and  they  felt  that  if  he  could  be  broken  down 
the  Alliance  would  be  destroyed.  They  long  had 
tracked  him  with  detectives,  but  nothing  damaging 
to  his  character  could  be  obtained.  His  mail  brought 
him  many  threatening  letters,  but  he  laughed  at  dan- 
ger from  cowardly  anonymous  sources.  His  theories 
were  assailed  by  hired  writers  in  every  newspaper  and 
magazine  that  would  print  such  stuff,  but  he  contented 
himself  with  answering  them  from  the  rostrum,  and 
only  smiled  at  their  personal  abuse. 

315 


THE    LIBERATORS 

As  the  campaign  grew  warm  the  Alliance  was  at- 
tacked for  its  platform  providing  for  an  intelligent  and 
sanitary  restriction  of  immigration,  and  every  possible 
effort  was  made  to  array  the  foreign  vote  against  it. 
But  Randolph's  appeal  to  intelligent  foreigners  of  all 
kinds  to  throw  off  the  feudel  yoke,  the  effects  of  which 
had  been  so  oppressive  in  their  native  land,  more  than 
offset  the  clamor  of  his  enemies. 

Then  the  opposition  denounced  Randolph  for  allying 
himself  with  the  Ames  family,  and  one  impassioned 
orator  said  that  as  soon  as  the  People's  Alliance  be- 
came supreme  in  the  State,  Randolph  was  to  marry 
Virginia  Ames  and  become  the  head  of  the  Ames 
corporations.  The  speaker  flamboyantly  asked  the 
voters  of  the  Alliance  how  they  liked  being  betrayed  in 
this  fashion. 

When  the  charges  had  been  repeated  often  enough 
to  warrant  attention,  Randolph  replied  to  them  at  a 
huge  meeting  in  Carnegie  Hall.  He  reviewed  his  own 
record;  told  how  he  had  refused  the  offered  partner- 
ship in  the  firm  of  Dalrymple  &  Ames  and  had  finally 
left  their  employ,  on  account  of  his  convictions  upon 
these  public  questions ;  then  he  reviewed  the  fight 
which  he  had  made  through  the  recent  session  of  the 
Legislature. 

316 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"This,"  he  said,  "should  be  enough  to  silence  the 
tongue  of  slander." 

The  other  matter  he  ignored,  confident  that  it  would 
be  properly  resented  by  the  chivalrous  American 
voters. 

The  election  results  gave  the  People's  Alliance  a 
total  vote  of  one"  hundred  and  five  in  the  Assembly, 
or  a  majority  of  sixty  over  all  opponents.  The  Alli- 
ance carried  every  Assembly  district  in  New  York 
City,  and  the  fifty-eight  members,  whose  loyalty  had 
been  tested,  were  re-elected.  In  the  State  the  Alli- 
ance elected  forty-five  assemblymen,  and  the  indirect 
result  was  to  give  Randolph  six  additional  senators, 
who  now  saw  that  the  people  were  the  bosses  of  their 
own  aflfairs,  and  that  corruption  had  ceased  to  rule. 

Two  powerful,  but  wholly  antagonistic,  forces  con- 
tributed to  bring  about  this  result. 

Early  in  the  year,  when  it  became  apparent  that 
the  contest  must  be  carried  into  the  State,  Mrs.  Strong- 
had  induced  the  chief  officers  of  the  moribund  State 
Organization  of  Associated  Charities  to  call  a  conven- 
tion to  meet  in  New  York  City  in  April.  The  call 
provided  for  liberal  representation  from  each  local 
association,  so  that  a  convention  of  a  thousand  dele- 
gates was  provided.  Immediately  upon  the  issuing 
of  the  call  for  the  convention  she  set  to  work,  through 

317 


THE    LIBERATORS 

correspondence  and  by  personal  visits,  to  make  sure 
of  a  full  attendance  of  delegates.  To  those  who  could 
not  afford  to  pay  railroad  fares  she  sent  tickets,  and 
to  make  the  convention  socially  attractive  she  issued 
invitations  to  every  delegate  to  attend  an  evening  re- 
ception at  the  Waldorf-Astoria. 

When  the  convention  met  the  attendance  was  up  to 
her  most  sanguine  expectations.  She  easily  enough 
obtained  the  privilege  of  arranging  the  program,  and 
every  speaker  was  an  ardent  champion  of  the  belief 
that  the  effectual  cure  for  the  necessity  of  asking  alms 
on  the  part  of  any  class  of  people  was  by  social  read- 
justment. Several  powerful  addresses  were  delivered 
by  eminent  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  who  declared  that 
the  advancement  of  morality  required  the  active  parti- 
cipation of  every  good  citizen  in  pending  political 
affairs ;  and,  as  a  result  of  the  convention,  every  dele- 
gate went  home  an  ardent  champion  of  the  principles 
of  the  People's  Alliance.  Having  thus  aroused  their 
interest,  Mrs.  Strong  sent  representatives  of  the  State 
Association  to  every  county  through  the  state  to  or- 
ganize carefully  all  moral  forces  for  effective  action  at 
the  fall  election. 

She  still  sent  monthly  checks  to  the  People's  Al- 
liance, but  now  they  were  her  personal  checks;  for 
she  had  concluded  that  the  time  was  ripe  for  her  to 

318 


THE    LIBERATORS 

step  out  Into  the  open  and  wage  war  for  her  convic- 
tions. She  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  Alliance  lead- 
ers, and  when  they  began  to  organize  the  state  she 
doubled  her  monthly  subscription.  In  January  of  this 
year  she  had  said  to  Randolph : 

"I  cannot  enact  the  role  of  a  Joan  of  'Arc,  or  a 
Deborah,  in  this  campaign;  but  I  can  be  a  humble 
sister  of  charity  to  bind  the  wounds  of  the  bleeding 
and  to  cheer    on  the  faint-hearted." 

The  trend  of  public  sentiment  was  so  powerful  and 
so  evident  that  the  astute  leaders  of  the  old  political 
parties  decided  "to  let  the  craze  run  its  course,"  and 
made  only  a  perfunctory  campaign,  thinking  that  their 
skill,  as  of  old,  would  enable  them  to  get  up  such  a 
reaction  of  public  sentiment  that  the  constitutional 
amendments  could  easily  be  beaten  at  the  polls  the 
next  year,  when  they  would  be  submitted.  Time  had 
always  been  their  most  effective  weapon ;  and  when 
years  before,  they  had  put  these  complicated  pro- 
visions in  the  Constitution  of  the  State  they  had  fore- 
seen just  such  a  contingency  as  the  one  they  were 
now  facing.  What  wonders  they  had  effected  in  one 
brief  year  during  the  last  Presidential  campaign  in 
bringing  the  people  around  to  their  way  of  think- 
ing, and  how  easy  it  would  be  to  repeat  that  opera- 
tion whenever  they  were  ready!     And — ^pouf!     The 

319 


THE    LIBERATORS 

State  of  New  York  had  never  allowed  reformers  to 
rule  it  for  more  than  one  term,  and  had  they  not  more 
avenues  to  the  public  mind  now  than  they  had  ever 
possessed  before?  Let  the  storm  rage.  It  was  but 
a  summer's  squall. 

So  they  kept  their  money,  did  these  wise  captains 
of  industry,  for  a  more  opportune  season.  And  they 
kept  their  lobby  away  from  Albany.  To  the  old  habit- 
ues it  seemed  more  like  the  gathering  of  a  church  con- 
ference than  like  an  annual  session  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature. 

A  Tammany  man,  who  was  in  Albany  on  business, 
wrote  this  description  of  the  scene  to  a  friend : 

"It's  the  deadest  place  you  ever  saw.  Not  an  old- 
time  fellow  in  or  out  of  the  place  to  be  seen.  Why, 
these  chumps  tear  the  air  against  our  fellows  like 
fright,  call  us  all  kinds  of  names,  and  how  they  do 
baste  the  corporations !  I  pity  'em  when  we  throw  'em 
out  next  year.  The  bloody  fools  ain't  making  a  cent, 
and  they've  got  all  the  big  fellows  in  the  State  down 
on  'em,  and  when  they  get  through  here  they  won't 
have  money  enough  to  flag  a  bread  wagon.  This  may 
be  reform — ^but  I  don't  want  any  of  it  in  mine.  It's 
too  darned  lonesome.  Then,  too,  I  want  the  boys 
around  and  something  doing.  I'll  bet  there  ain't  been 
a  hand-out  this  whole  session  of  enough  to  buy  a 

320 


THE    LIBERATORS 

pumpkin  pie.  How  the  devil  such  a  pack  as  this  ever 
carried  the  city  I  can't  tell.  Why,  we  used  to  have  a 
hundred  thousand  majority,  and  a  lot  of  sorghum  heads 
beat  us  out  of  our  boots — but  they  can't  last,  and 
'twill  be  a  picnic  to  beat  'em  all  hollow  next  time.  The 
saloons  here  look  like  mission  houses  in  the  slums — 
only  the  mission  houses  have  crowds  at  noon,  and 
these  places  are  empty  all  the  time.  Maybe  you  don't 
think  the  saloonkeepers  are  hollering.  You  never 
heard  such  a  wail.  It's  worse  then  Billy  Doonan's 
kick  when  we  beat  him  for  district  leader. 

"This  fellow  Randolph  tore  the  air  here  in  great 
shape  for  three  hours  yesterday.  What  a  bully  official 
orator  he'd  make  for  Tammany  Hall!  I  don't  see 
why  our  fellows  didn't  get  him.  Seems  to  me  we've 
been  losing  lots  of  tricks  lately.  But  next  year  we'll 
beat  this  crowd  all  right,  anyhow.  The  people  will 
never  stand  for  any  such  dead  business  as  this  again." 

Randolph  found  little  difficulty  in  passing  new  con- 
stitutional amendments  applying  to  all  parts  of  the 
State,  to  supplant  those  of  the  last  session.  His  work 
was  so  agreeable  and  easy  that  he  wrote  to  Virginia: 
"I  am  compelled  to  pinch  myself  to  see  if  this  indolent 
and  passive  person  is  really  the  one  who  led  such  a 
strenuous  life  here  last  session." 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Virginia's  ill-health  was  the  only  dark  cloud  on  the 
horizon  of  his  perfect  happiness.  Since  he  had  taken 
her  back  to  Colorado  Springs  she  had  gained  slowly; 
but  her  physician  had  written  him  to  be  patient,  as  she 
would  need  a  year  longer  to  be  completely  restored  to 
health,  "But,"  the  wise  doctor  added,  "the  process 
of  recuperation  will  be  greatly  expedited  by  your  pres- 
ence here,  as  soon  as  your  Legislature  adjourns." 

Randolph  found  time  to  spend  two  weeks  with  her 
in  the  early  summer,  at  the  end  of  which  he  was  sum- 
moned back  to  New  York  to  assist  his  associates  in 
preparing  for  the  National  Convention  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Alliance  to  be  held  in  Madison  Square  Garden 
on  the  Fourth  of  July. 

The  success  of  the  Alliance  in  New  York  State  had 
aroused  and  encouraged  patriots  all  over  the  United 
States  to  take  up  the  cause  of  popular  government, 
and  every  State  in  the  Union  had  effected  some  sort 
of  an  organization.  Some  of  them  had  very  compact 
and  complete  societies,  while  others  had  less  effec- 
tive ones;  but  all  were  animated  with  a  patriotic 
spirit,  which  counts  for  much  more  than  does  any 
mere  combination. 

Not  expecting  to  accomplish  any  other  result  this  year 
in  the  nation  than  to  get  their  doctrines  thoroughly  be- 
fore the  people,  the  New  York  leaders  had  determined 

322 


THE    LIBERATORS 

to  send  a  strong  delegation  to  the  lower  House  of 
Congress  from  New  York  City,  so  as  to  assist  the  na- 
tional cause  in  the  future.  They  accordingly  insisted 
that  Randolph  should  head  the  Congressional  dele- 
gation. He  protested  that  his  work  was  yet  incom- 
plete in  the  Legislature — that  he  should  go  back  to 
the  Senate  and  get  his  amendments  through  the  next 
Legislature,  and  provide  for  their  submission  to  the 
people  at  an  early  day.  But  they  overrode  his  ob- 
jections, saying  that  New  York  was  safe  enough,  and 
that  the  next  thing  was  to  capture  Congress  for  federal 
ownership  of  transportation  and  communication  lines. 

"In  any  event,"  said  one  wise  leader,  "if  we  start 
a  movement  in  Congress  for  government  ownership 
of  the  railways,  we  will  keep  their  money  and  their 
lobby  away  from  Albany;  so  the  best  service  you  can 
render  the  cause  now,  Randolph,  is  to  go  to  Washing- 
ton and  make  things  as  hot  there  for  the  railroad  com- 
panies as  you  did  in  Albany  for  the  local  utility  com- 
panies." 

There  was  much  to  commend  this  argument,  and 
as  Randolph  was  ambitious  to  get  into  national  poli- 
tics, he  acquiesced  in  their  plans  and  stood  for  the 
House  of  Representatives. 

The  tide  of  government  ownership  was  running  so 
strongly   in    New    York   that   the    People's   Alliance 

323 


THE    LIBERATORS 

elected  its  entire  congressional  and  legislative  ticket 
in  New  York  City,  carried  a  majority  of  the  counties 
of  the  State,  and  elected  its  candidate  for  Governor. 
From  every  part  of  the  Union  came  reports  of  govern- 
ment ownership  victories,  and  the  champions  of  that 
cause  claimed  the  Lower  House  of  Congress  by  a  ma- 
jority of  twenty. 

The  Democratic  party  in  the  South  had  been  forced, 
by  popular  sentiment  and  the  growing  power  of  the 
Alliance,  to  advocate  government  ownership,  and  sev- 
eral of  the  far  Western  States  had  either  given  vic- 
tories to  the  Alliance  outright,  or  had  elected  candi- 
dates for  Congress  who  were  individually  pledged  to 
Alliance  doctrines. 

The  Alliance  was  too  new  in  the  nation  to  hope  to 
elect  its  candidate  for  President;  but  under  the  splen- 
did leadership  of  Judge  Fontius,  who  had  resigned  a 
life  position  on  the  federal  bench  to  make  the  race,  they 
had  carried  four  States  and  had  received  a  popular 
vote  of  nearly  three  millions. 

By  such  a  narrow  margin  had  the  Republican  can- 
didate won,  that  the  change  of  the  electoral  vote  in 
either  of  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana  or  Illinois  would 
have  given  the  victory  to  the  Democrat,  had  he  carried 
such  State,  or  would  have  thrown  the  election  into  the 

324 


THE    LIBERATORS 

House  of  Representatives  had  the  AlHance  candidate 
received  such  vote. 

The  Senate  was  still  an  impregnable  citadel  of 
strength  for  the  railroads,  for,  nothvvithstanding  the 
political  revolution  that  was  shaking  the  country,  fifty- 
two  railroad  attorneys  still  held  seats  in  that  august 
legislative  assembly. 


325 


Chapter  XXXII. 

"Do  you  know,  George,  that  the  whole  Ames  family 
will  be  at  the  Capitol  to-morrow  to  hear  your  speech? 
Fred  and  Margaret  and  Edwin  Van  Cise,  who,  as  you 
know,  is  now  IMargaret's  fiance,  come  on  the  Con- 
gressional Limited  to-night,"  said  Virginia,  as  she  gave 
him  a  radiant  smile  of  happiness. 

She  and  her  mother  had  arrived  in  Washington 
from  Colorado  the  day  before.  The  mountain  air, 
vastly  assisted  no  doubt  by  other  influences  quite  as 
exhilarating,  had  done  its  work,  and  there  was  no 
trace  in  her  glorious  eyes  or  glowing  cheeks  of  the 
illness  that  had  visited  her. 

She  had  asked  Randolph  to  take  her  to  the  Capitol 
with  him,  and  they  were  passing  through  Pennsylvania 
Avenue.  Her  old  love  for  outdoor  exercise  had  re- 
turned, and  she  insisted  on  walking.  In  a  tailored 
gown  of  light  blue  broadcloth  and  a  light  blue  velvet 
hat,  fastened  to  her  hair  by  a  hatpin  ornamented 
with  deepest  sapphires,  with  her  cheeks  aglow  from  the 
crisp  February  air  and  the  excitement  of  the  occasion, 
she  looked  more  beautiful  than  ever  to  Randolph. 

She  was  in  a  happy  mood  and  enjoyed  chaffing  him. 

"Now   please,    George,   you    must    remember  that 

2,26 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Frederic  is  at  the  head  of  the  Ames  interests  and  is 
one  of  your  detested  'Captains  of  Industry/ so  you  must 
not  abuse  him  in  your  speech,"  and  she  gaily  laughed. 

He  joined  in  her  laugh  and  encouraged  her  to  con- 
tinue her  bantering.  He  was  so  delighted  to  have  her 
with  him  and  to  see  her  restored  to  health,  that  his 
whole  being  thrilled  with  joy  when  he  looked  at  her. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  Capitol  he  took  her  into 
the  members'  gallery  and  sat  with  her  until  the  debate 
began ;  then  he  resumed  his  seat  on  the  floor,  so  as  to 
be  ready  to  cross  swords  with  any  antagonist  who 
might  seek  combat,  or  who  might  be  too  strong  in 
argument  or  too  quick  in  repartee  for  some  other 
champion  of  their  cause. 

This  was  the  fifty-ninth  day  of  the  debate,  which 
was  to  be  closed  the  next  day  and  the  vote  taken  the 
following  day. 

The  first  act  of  the  People's  Alliance,  after  reorgan- 
izing the  House,  had  been  to  restore  its  functions  as 
a  popular  parliamentary  body  by  giving  members 
ample  opportunity  to  discuss  all  pending  measures. 
It  was  agreed  at  the  beginning  of  the  debate  that  it 
should  close  on  the  sixtieth  day,  thus  giving  each  mem- 
ber of  the  House  an  opportunity  for  almost  an  hour's 
speech  by  holding  sessions  of  six  hours  each  day,  and 
no  night  sessions.     The  time  of  any  speaker  could  be 


THE    LIBERATORS 

extended  by  arrangement  with  such  of  his  colleagues 
as  were  willing  to  give  him  all  or  portions  of  their 
time.  It  had  been  arranged  that  Randolph  should 
close  the  debate  and  should  have  the  full  session  of 
the  last  day. 

This  Congress  was  the  first  one  in  twenty  years  in 
which  members  of  the  House  were  allowed  full  free- 
dom of  expression.  The  defiance  of  boss  rule  and  the 
reasserting  of  their  governmental  prerogatives  by  the 
people  at  the  polls  had  sent  threescore  able,  learned, 
eloquent,  ambitious  and  patriotic  young  men  into  the 
congressional  arena,  and  the  Federal  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives once  more  appealed  to  the  imagination  and 
interest  of  the  people. 

The  bill  which  the  People's  Alliance  oflfered  was  for 
the  government  ownership  of  every  railway  line  doing 
an  interstate  business,  and  for  the  purchase  or  condem- 
nation of  the  same  by  the  government,  on  the  basis  of 
a  valuation  which  the  average  net  income  for  the  five 
years  last  past  would  capitalize  at  six  per  cent. 

Every  nook  and  corner  of  space  reserved  for  the 
public  was  crowded  during  every  hour  of  this  great 
debate.  The  scene  was  also  remarkable  for  the  total 
absence  of  the  lobby.  Those  in  command  of  that  here- 
tofore invincible  congressional  machine  had  not  felt 
the  shock  of  the  high    voltage    current    of    popular 

328 


THE    LIBERATORS 

wrath  at  the  late  election,  without  appreciating  its  sig- 
nificance, and  they,  forsooth,  would  quiet  the  pubHc 
mind  by  hiding  the  lobby  away  in  secret  places.    Was 
not  the  Senate  theirs,  in  any  event?    What  booted  it 
how     many    government    ownership    measures    were 
passed  by  the  House  so  long  as  they  had  their  citadel 
of  Gibraltar  in  the  Senate  ?     The  Senate  would  be  able 
to  pigeon-hole  this  measure,  as  it  had  so  many  hun- 
dreds of  anti-corporation  measures  in  the  past,  and 
the  clouds  of  the  new  craze  would  soon  be  dissipated. 
So    reasoned    the    Captains    of    Industry,    and    so 
feared  the  young  patriots  of  the  House ;  but  they  were 
educating  the  people  by  this  debate,  for  their  speakers 
were  equipped  with  facts  and  figures  and  the  eloquence 
born   of   enthusiasm,   while   the   others   recited   their 
pieces  as  tales  that  had  been  told  them,  careful  not  to 
antagonize  the  voters,  but  exhausting  the  ingenuity  of 
their  syndicated  speakers'  bureau  to  arouse  prejudice 
against  the  opposition. 

And  thus  the  greatest  congressional  debate  in 
American  history  proceeded.  Thus  the  Captains  of 
Industry  were  tranquil;  as  tranquil  as  Dickens  de- 
scribes the  King  with  a  large  jaw  and  the  Queen  with 
a  plain  face  on  the  throne  of  England,  and  the  King 
with  a  large  jaw  and  the  Queen  with  ?  fair  face  on 
the  throne  of  France,  while  the  embers  of  revolution 

329 


THE    LIBERATORS 

were  being  fanned  into  ominous  flames  and  these  into 
a  holocaust  which  was  to  sweep  them  and  their  divine 
rights  and  their  ancient  prerogatives  out  of  existence. 
Had  not  these  Captains  of  Industry  reigned  with 
more  power  than  any  hereditary  monarch  ever  dreamed 
of?  Surely  their  princely  prerogatives  could  not  be 
swept  away  in  a  day. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  are  long  suffering 
and  slow  to  wrath — but  when  their  conscience  or  their 
patriotism  is  once  aroused,  woe  betide  those  who  are 
caught  in  the  path  of  the  storm. 

The  recent  election  had  emphasized  these  American 
qualities  as  they  had  never  been  emphasized  before. 
The  most  enthusiastic  advocates  of  government  owner- 
ship had  not  dreamed  it  possible  to  carry  the  Lower 
House  of  Congress.  They  had  not  planned  to  do  so. 
They  were  as  much  surprised  at  the  result  as  were 
their  opponents.  But  they  had  underestimated  the 
effect   of  their   splendid   efforts   in   New   York   City. 

Randolph's  speeches  had  appealed  to  the  conscience 
as  well  as  the  judgment  of  the  American  voters,  and 
his  unswerving  loyalty  to  principle,  his  sacrifices  and 
his  character  had  appealed  to  their  imagination.  In 
the  great  West,  especially,  were  his  efforts  inspiring; 
and  as  his  attitude  during  the  revolution  in  the  Western 
State,  a  few  years  before,  became  public  through  the 

330 


THE    LIBERATORS 

press,  they  accepted  him  as  a  true  prophet  of  the  cause 
and  a  worthy  leader  to  follow.  The  Westerners  felt 
that  if  boss-ridden  New  York — New  York  which  had 
so  recently  wallowed  in  all  the  lowest  filth  of  corrup- 
tion and  graft,  in  both  public  and  private  affairs,  the 
city  which  was  the  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  of  Ameri- 
can politics — if  New  York  could  throw  off  the  im- 
moral yoke  of  the  modern  Feudal  Barons,  how  easily 
the  result  could  be  accomplished  in  the  cleaner  and 
more  wholesome  West. 

The  State  to  which  Randolph  had  journeyed  on  his 
railroad  mission,  when  in  the  employ  of  Dalrymple 
&  Ames,  had  rebelled  two  years  before — with  a 
majority  of  seventy  thousand  out  of  three  hundred 
thousand  votes — against  the  theft  of  the  government 
of  the  State ;  and  this  year  the  people  had  increased 
that  majority  to  eighty  thousand  and  had  made  such 
a  clean  sweep  that  the  conspirators,  who  stole  the  elec- 
tion four  years  before,  had  only  three  members  of 
the  Legislature,  out  of  one  hundred. 

Thus  the  American  voters,  with  one  united  pur- 
pose, impelled  by  that  affinity  of  honest  minds  which 
instinctively  grasp  the  truth  at  one  time,  and  controlled 
by  that  patriotism  which  has  always  triumphed  in 
every  public  emergency,  had  sounded  the  death-knell 
of  divided  functions  of  government  and  had  deter- 

331 


THE    LIBERATORS 

mined  to  operate  all  government  themselves,  for  them- 
selves. 

And  still  the  King  with  the  large  jaw  sat  tranquilly 
in  his  chair  of  state,  with  his  sacred  wand  and  mace 
of  power  in  the  keeping  of  the  liege  lords  of  America's 
government,  within  the  impregnable  buttresses  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  smiled  at  his  security  from 
the  howling  storm  without. 


332 


Chapter  XXXIII. 

There  may  have  been  larger  crowds  at  the  Capitol 
in  the  stirring  days  just  preceding  the  secession  of 
the  South  and  the  tension  of  the  public  mind  may  have 
been  greater,  but  those  scenes  are  so  much  in  the 
perspective  that  they  somewhat  lose  the  emphasis  of 
their  coloring.  Certain  it  is  that  never  since  that  time 
had  Washington  witnessed  such  a  scene  as  was  pre- 
sented on  this  momentous  day.  Ten  thousand  per- 
sons, unable  to  obtain  admission,  waited  for  hours  in 
the  halls,  the  rotundas,  and  on  the  lawns,  hoping  per- 
haps to  catch  some  word  of  the  speech,  but  in  any 
event  happy  to  be  near  where  these  great  events  were 
happening.  These  men  and  women  were  from  all  parts 
of  the  Union,  Large  delegations  had  come  from 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  on  special  trains.  Ran- 
dolph and  his  colleagues  had  done  everything  possible 
to  admit  their  immediate  constituents,  but  the  galleries 
of  the  House  were  too  small  to  accommodate  many  of 
them. 

The  crowd  outside  good-naturedly  submitted  to  the 
decrees  of  fate  and  to  the  plans  of  architects  who  con- 
structed the  national  legislative  halls  more  for  pri- 
vate conferences  of  members  than  for  public  attend- 

333 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ance  upon  their  deliberations.  It  was  enough,  though, 
for  them  to  beheve  that  private  conferences  in  Con- 
gress would  soon  end,  and  then,  perhaps,  the  ideas  of 
government  architects  might  change. 

Within  the  doors  of  the  Chamber  the  scene  was 
animated  and  the  settings  were  gay.  Every  member 
had  brought  ladies,  and  the  bright  colors  of  their 
gowns  and  hats  gave  a  gala  appearance  to  the  galleries. 
In  the  front  row  in  the  members'  gallery  were  Mrs. 
Ames,  Mrs.  Strong,  Virginia,  Margaret,  Frederic  and 
Edwin  Van  Cise. 

Randolph  had  not  seen  Mrs.  Strong  since  this  de- 
bate began,  and  wondered  at  her  strange  absence. 
She  had  arrived  with  Frederic  the  night  be'fore,  and 
her  whole  being  now  seemed  to  radiate  joy. 

The  galleries  were  packed  to  the  doors,  and  on  the 
floor  there  was  not  a  foot  of  vacant  space.  The  Sen- 
ate had  come  over  in  a  body,  and  ex-members  of  both 
Houses  had  arrived  from  every  part  of  the  country. 

At  exactly  fifteen  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock,  meri- 
dian, on  the  sixtieth  day  of  the  debate,  Randolph 
arose  to  address  the  House.  He  gave  Virginia  a  smile 
of  recognition,  and  began  his  speech. 

"Since  the  dawn  of  history  the  great  thoroughfares 
have  belonged  to  the  people,  have  been  known  as  the 
king's  highways,  or  the  public  highways,  and  have 

334 


THE    LIBERATORS 

been  open  to  the  free  use  of  all,  on  payment  of  a  small 
uniform  tax  or  toll,  to  keep  them  in  repair.  But  now 
the  most  perfect,  and  by  far  the  most  important  roads 
known  to  mankind,  are  owned  and  managed  as  private 
property  by  a  comparatively  small  number  of  private 
citizens. 

"In  all  its  uses  the  railroad  is  the  most  public  of  all 
our  roads;  and  in  all  the  objects  to  which  its  work  re- 
lates the  railroad  corporation  is  as  public  as  any  cor- 
poration can  be.  But  in  the  start  it  was  labeled  a 
private  corporation,  and  so  far  as  its  legal  status  is 
concerned,  it  is  now  grouped  with  eleemosynary  insti- 
tutions and  private  charities,  and  enjoys  similar  im- 
munities and  exemptions.  It  remains  to  be  seen  how 
long  the  community  will  suffer  itself  to  be  a  victim  of 
an  abstract  definition. 

"It  is  painfully  evident,  from  the  experience  of  the 
last  few  years,  that  the  efforts  of  the  States  to  regulate 
their  railroads  have  amounted  to  little  more  than 
feeble  annoyance.  In  many  cases  the  corporations 
have  treated  such  efforts  as  impertinent  meddling,  and 
have  brushed  away  legislative  restrictions  as  easily  as 
Gulliver  broke  the  cords  with  which  the  Lilliputians 
attempted  to  bind  him.  In  these  contests  the  corpora- 
tions have  become  conscious  of  their  strength  and 
have  entered  upon  the  work  of  controlling  the  States. 

335 


THE    LIBERATORS 

Already  they  have  captured  some  of  the  oldest  and 
strongest  of  them ;  and  these  discrowned  Sovereigns 
now  follow  in  chains  the  triumphal  chariot  of  their 
conquerors.  And  this  does  not  imply  that  merely  the 
officers  and  representatives  of  States  have  been  sub- 
jected to  the  railways,  but  that  the  corporations  have 
grasped  the  sources  and  fountains  of  power  and  control 
the  choice  of  both  officers  and  representatives. 

"The  consolidation  of  our  great  commercial  com- 
panies, the  power  they  wield  and  the  relations  they 
sustain  to  the  State  and  to  the  industry  of  the  people, 
do  not  fall  far  short  of  Fourier's  definition  of  com- 
mercial and  industrial  feudalism.  The  modern  barons, 
more  powerful  than  their  military  prototypes,  own  our 
greatest  highways  and  levy  tribute  at  will  on  all  our 
vast  industries.  And  as  the  old  feudalism  was  finally 
controlled  and  subordinated  only  by  the  combined 
efforts  of  the  kings  and  the  people  of  the  free  cities 
and  towns,  so  our  modern  feudalism  can  be  subordi- 
nated to  the  public  good  only  by  the  great  body  of 
the  people  acting  through  their  government  by  wise 
and  just  laws." 

Randolph  paused  a  moment  and  a  great  wave  of 
applause  swept  the  hall  and  galleries. 

"Does  not  that  sound  like  a  speech  of  to-day?"  he 
asked.       "I  have  thus  far  quoted  from  a  speech  of 

336 


THE    LIBERATORS 

James  A.  Garfield,  delivered  in  this  hall  on  June  22, 

1874." 

Another  round  of  applause,  more  extended  than  the 
former,  greeted  this  statement. 

"Every  evil  which  Garfield  called  attention  to  then 
has  since  been  increased  tenfold.  Not  only  that,  but 
since  his  time  the  government  has  tried  federal  regu- 
lation of  the  railways,  with  the  same  result  depicted 
by  him  in  the  attempts  of  the  States  to  regulate  them." 

He  then  gave  a  history  of  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission  and  the  utter  futility  and  failure  of  its 
efforts  to  regulate  railway  rates  or  to  prevent  dis- 
crimination and  rebates.  He  showed  how  few  deci- 
sions of  the  Commission  had  been  upheld  by  the  courts 
— scarcely  a  fourth  of  them.  He  called  attention  to 
the  weakness  of  the  bill  recently  enacted  to  regulate 
the  rates  of  railways,  and  its  failure  to  accomplish 
any  beneficial  results.  Then  he  scathingly  arraigned 
the  elaborate  system  of  corruption  which  the  railroad 
companies  had  inaugurated  in  every  State  in  the 
Union,  and  the  effect  of  such  system  upon  popular 
government. 

He  showed  how  the  railways  had  built  some  cities 
and  destroyed  others  in  the  great  West ;  how  they  had 
ruined  manufacturers,  closed  their  shops  and  con- 
fiscated their  capital  through  unjust  discriminations; 

337 


THE    LIBERATORS 

how  they  had  laid  waste  acres  of  fertile  soil  to  develop 
other  sections  of  the  country  in  which  their  managers 
were  more  interested ;  how  they  each  year  killed  an 
army  of  people  through  defiance  of  State  regulations 
and  through  the  recklessness  of  local  managers ;  how 
they  controlled  legislation  to  fix  a  small  maximum 
value  upon  human  life  taken  through  their  careless- 
ness ;  how  they  controlled  courts,  legislative  bodies,  city 
councils  and  executive  officials,  to  save  them  from 
penalties  of  any  kind;  how  they  had  developed  the 
American  boss  and  the  political  machine,  and  through 
them  controlled  both  of  the  old  political  parties ;  how 
mail  contracts  were  let  through  the  influence  of  railroad 
attorneys  in  Congress  at  rates  that  were  double  those 
paid  for  similar  services  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 
He  gave  statistics  to  show  how  few  people  pro- 
portionately were  killed  or  injured  on  the  govern- 
ment-owned railroads  of  Germany  and  Austria-Hun- 
gary, as  compared  with  the  vast  number  killed  or 
injured  every  year  in  this  country.  He  demon- 
strated how  the  active  management  of  railways  was 
being  taken  from  experienced  and  competent  railway 
men  and  vested  in  favorites  of  the  great  banking 
houses  which  held  their  stocks  and  bonds,  and  cared 
more  for  dividends  and  an  opportunity  to  increase 
their  capitalization  than  for  the  safety  of  the  public 

338 


THE    LIBERATORS 

or  the  lives  of  employees;  how  powerless  for  years 
the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  had  been  to  en- 
force a  simple  regulation  like  the  universal  use  of  air- 
brakes and  improved  couplers,  and  some  of  the  disas- 
ters that  had  followed  such  defiance  of  the  Commis- 
sion ;  how  railway  stocks  constituted  the  chief  gam- 
bling asset  of  Wall  Street,  and  how  destructive  that 
institution  was  to  the  morals  of  every  citizen ;  how 
trusts  had  been  nurtured  and  upbuilded  by  secret  re- 
bates ;  how  the  stream  of  public  virtue  was  being  pol- 
luted at  its  source  by  the  example  of  graft,  corrup- 
tion and  bribery,  which  the  political  operation  of  rail- 
ways, under  private  ownership,  developed. 

He  denounced  the  false  standards  of  morality  and 
good  citizenship  set  up  in  every  community  by  promi- 
nent men  who  constituted  themselves  leaders  of  society, 
and  who  undertook  to  fix  the  social  status  of  every 
other  citizen,  yet  who  owed  their  wealth,  which  was 
their  only  basis  of  a  claim  to  leadership,  to  open  and 
notorious  gambling  in  the  stocks  that  represented 
these  public  highways.  He  demonstrated  the  impor- 
tant fact  that  it  required  more  ability  in  government 
officials  to  regulate  the  railways,  while  such  properties 
are  owned  and  controlled  by  the  skilled  and  really 
great  captains  of  modern  commercial  life,  whose 
every  interest  is  antagonistic  to  government  interfer- 

339 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ence,  tliln'it  would  reqii^e  to  operate  those  properties 
under  absolute  government  ownership;  he  made  clear 
the  business  immorality  of  the  government's  fixing 
arbitrary  rates  of  charge  and  the  maximum  of  capitali- 
zation for  a  business  enterprise  in  which  the  govern- 
ment had  not  one  dollar  of  invested  capital,  but  which 
was  owned  and  operated  solely  on  private  funds,  and 
the  utter  helplessness  of  the  people  under  private  own- 
ership, without  such  arbitrary  regulations. 

"On  the  other  hand,"  he  said,  "the  benefits  of  gov- 
ernment ownership  are  so  great  and  so  apparent  that 
they  scarcely  need  to  be  detailed.  The  first  great 
blessing  will  be  the  return  of  this  government  of  the 
people  to  the  people,  for  their  sole  and  undivided  con- 
trol. From  that  result  alone  will  flow  benefits  enough 
to  compensate  for  every  dollar  expended  in  acquiring 
these  properties,  and  that  purpose  is  an  all-sufficient 
one  for  every  patriot  engaged  in  this  contest.  But 
there  are  many  other  reasons  why  this  action  should 
be  taken,  and  a  few  of  those  reasons  may  appeal  more 
strongly  than  patriotism  does  to  the  judgment  of  some 
of  our  business  citizens." 

Randolph  then  elaborately  summarized  the  amount 
of  annual  saving  in  the  cost  of  operation  which  could 
be  effected  under  government  ownership,  and  which 
he  placed  at  one  hundred  and  twenty  million  dollars; 

340 


THE    LIBERATORS 

and  he  showed  that  by  reducing  passenger  fares  to 
one-half  cent  per  mile,  estimating  twice  as  many  pas- 
sengers as  now  use  the  railroads  at  a  rate  of  slightly 
over  two  cents  per  mile,  the  net  annual  saving  under 
government  ownership  would  still  be  over  seventy  mil- 
lion dollars. 

"This  reduction  in  passenger  fares,"  he  said,  "would 
bring  the  journey  across  the  entire  continent  under  the 
command  of  a  laborer's  weekly  pay;  and  surely  these 
highways  should  be  opened  to  the  use  of  all  citizens, 
and  not  restricted  to  the  favored  few,  as  they  have 
been  in  the  past." 

He  then  pointed  out  the  great  profit  to  the  govern- 
ment and  benefit  to  the  people  of  a  government  postal 
express ;  the  saving  to  the  government  in  the  carrying 
of  the  mails ;  the  better  protection  afforded  to  railroad 
employees  and  to  the  traveling  public.  He  showed 
how  rebates  and  discriminations  would  be  impossible; 
how  every  city  and  every  industry  would  have  equal 
opportunities ;  how  unfair  trusts  could  be  destroyed  by 
punitive  freight  rates ;  how  the  great  American  public 
would  no  longer  be  at  the  mercy  of  strikes  or  lockouts. 

He  then  took  up  the  three  objections  urged  against 
government  ownership :  Unconstitutionality  ;  lack  of 
power  to  finance  such  a  large  deal;  and  danger  of 
a  political  machine.     He  cited  numerous  decisions  of 

341 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  United  States  Supreme  Court  to  show  that  Con- 
gress had  the  power  to  acquire  interstate  railways. 

On  the  question  of  financing  the  deal,  he  cited  the 
example  of  France,  with  a  debt  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  dollars  per  capita  and  her  bonds  above  par  at 
three  per  cent.;  whereas,  with  the  United  States,  the 
total  per  capita  debt,  after  adding  the  debt  of  acquiring 
these  roads  to  the  existing  debt,  would  be  only  a  frac- 
tion over  one  hundred  dollars  per  capita;  and  with  a 
population  of  more  than  double  that  of  France  and  an 
infinitely  more  resourceful  country,  our  bonds  for 
this  purpose  should  be  readily  placed  at  from  two  to 
two  and  one-half  per  cent. 

"No  person,"  he  explained,  "who  owns  stocks  or 
bonds,  as  an  investment,  in  any  of  the  separate  railways 
included  in  the  purchase,  would  refuse  to  take  stable 
government  bonds,  as  proposed  in  the  pending  measure, 
in  lieu  thereof;  therefore  the  whole  financial  transac- 
tion would  be  almost  entirely  one  of  an  exchange  of 
securities." 

The  political  machine  idea  he  termed  a  figment  of 
the  imagination  of  political  bashaws  who  did  not  wish 
to  give  up  their  present  rule,  and  he  demonstrated  that 
the  patriotism  which  government  ownership  would 
inspire,  together  with  wise  civil  service  rules,  would 
prevent  any  evil  along  those  lines. 

342 


THE    LIBERATORS 

'The  system  which  we  are  attacking,"  he  continued, 
"has  in  the  past  developed  Charlemagnes  and  Napo- 
leons in  the  realm  of  our  domestic  commerce.      I  had 
hoped  that  long  ere  tliis  some  one  of  those  great  cap- 
tains would  come  forth  as  the  Lincoln  of  this  gen- 
eration—the great  emancipator  of  eighty-five  millions 
of  people  from  the  thraldom  of  intolerable  serfdom. 
This  contest  could  be  greatly  shortened— and  genera- 
tions of  unborn  Americans  would  greet  his  name  with 
uncovered  heads— if  some  great  patriot   v/ould   step 
from  the  ranks  of  those  distinguished  commanders  of 
finance    and    avow    his    purpose    to    conform    to    the 
sentiment  of  the  American  people  upon  these  questions. 
But  there  is  no  ground  for  hope  in  that  direction,  or 
such   action   would  have   been   taken  long  ago— aye, 
wholesale  corruption  and  political  degradation  would 
not  long  have  existed  if  one  of  these  powerful  cap- 
tains had  commanded  otherwise  years  ago." 

With  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  unfailing  patriotism 
and  unconquerable  courage  of  the  American  people, 
Randolph  closed  his  speech. 

The  scene  which  followed  was  an  extraordinary 
one.  Not  only  did  his  audience  cheer  until  their  voices 
refused  to  respond  to  their  will;  but,  as  soon  as  the 
Speaker's  gavel  declared  the  session  adjourned,  they 
insisted  on  shaking  his  hand.     They  formed  a  double 

343 


THE    LIBERATORS 

line  in  the  rotunda,  with  those  already  there,  and  Ran- 
dolph was  compelled  to  pass  between  these  rows  of 
admirers  from  the  main  entrance  of  the  House  to  the 
east  door  of  the  Capitol.  He  accepted  the  situation 
like  a  veteran,  and  shook  the  hand  of  every  person  in 
the  columns,  using  both  of  his  own  hands  in  the 
operation.  Then  he  went  to  his  friends  in  the  gallery. 
Virginia  looked  her  pride  and  satisfaction. 

"That  was  a  great  speech,  George,  horribly  social- 
istic, but  not  very  revolutionary,"  said  Frederic  Ames, 
as  he  warmly  grasped  the  hand  of  his  friend. 

Mrs.  Strong  waited  until  the  others  had  finished, 
then  directing  him  to  one  side,  said : 

"You  preach  the  doctrine  splendidly!  No  person 
with  a  drop  of  patriotism  can  stand  against  you. 
How  proud  of  you  we  all  are,  and  how  much  credit 
you  deserve  for  your  years  of  strife  and  dauntless 
courage !  That  speech  to-day,  I  am  certain,  was  more 
efifective  than  you  realize,  and  I  am  confident  that  our 
cause  will  triumph  sooner  than  you  anticipate." 

They  went  to  their  carriages  at  the  east  doors,  and 
as  they  passed  down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  the  last 
rays  of  the  sun  kissed  the  dome  of  the  Capitol. 

And  the  King  closed  his  huge  jaws  with  satisfaction, 
for  he  had  fifty-two  votes  in  the  Senate  with  which 
to  defeat  the  will  of  the  American  people. 

344 


Chapter  XXXIV. 

The  House  had  just  convened.  Every  member  was 
in  his  seat.  The  attendance  had  not  abated  in  the 
least  from  that  of  previous  days,  for  the  people  wanted 
to  hear  the  eloquent  "aye"  of  their  representatives 
upon  this  the  people's  measure.  A  page  ran  down  the 
aisle  and  delivered  a  package  to  Randolph.  He  broke 
the  seal,  rapidly  read  the  communication  enclosed,  and 
flushed  with  excitement  and  trembling  in  every  limb, 
he  arose  in  his  seat.  Every  eye  was  on  him,  and  every 
ear  was  strained  to  catch  his  words. 

"Mr.  Speaker,"  he  said. 

"The  gentleman  from  New  York,"  responded  the 
Speaker. 

"Mr.  Speaker:  I  have  just  this  moment  received 
a  communication  intended  for  all  the  members  of  Con- 
gress, but  sent  to  me  personally  to  present.  It  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  the  pending  measure,  and 
under  our  rules  I  ask  to  have  it  read  by  the  clerk." 

Some  of  his  words  were  scarcely  audible,  so  choked 
with  emotion  was  he. 

During  the  few  seconds  it  required  for  a  page  to 
convey  the  communication  to  the  clerk's  desk  the  very 
air  of  the  chamber  vibrated  with  suppressed  excite- 

345 


THE    LIBERATORS 

ment.  The  clerk  was  moved  by  the  same  feehng^,  and 
it  was  several  more  seconds  before  he  could  control  his 
voice  enough  to  read  the  document.  Then,  in  clear 
tones,  that  rang  louder  and  louder  as  the  full  import 
of  the  message  dawned  upon  him,  he  read: 
"To  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States. 
"Gentlemen:  I  am  only  a  plain  citizen  of  the  Re- 
public, and  my  highest  ambition  is  to  be  considered  a 
good  and  loyal  citizen.  I  have  none  of  the  elements  of 
which  martyrs  are  made,  neither  have  I  more  than  the 
average  patriotism  of  my  countrymen.  There  are 
millions  of  loyal  Americans  who  would  willingly  do 
what  I  have  determined  to  do,  were  they  in  my  posi- 
tion. I  wish  you  to  understand  that  my  action  is  based 
upon  a  sense  of  duty  and  conscience  and  is  entitled  to 
no  especial  credit.  Whatever  praise  you  have  to  bestow 
should  be  given  to  those  splendid  champions  of  the 
cause  of  this  new  liberty,  who,  with  patience  and  forti- 
tude and  ability  and  forbearance,  have  so  clearly  and 
powerfully  presented  this  matter  as  to  capture  the  rea- 
son and  the  conscience  of  every  thoughtful  citizen. 
They  are  the  liberators  of  this  generation  of  Ameri- 
cans from  conditions  that  are  as  indefensible,  when  un- 
derstood, as  human  slavery  was,  when  its  destructive 
moral  and  physical  influences  were  made  manifest, 

346 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"I  have  studied  the  question  now  pending  before 
Congress  with  great  care  and  thoroughness,  and  I  have 
satisfied  myself  that  the  contentions  of  the  supporters 
of  the  pending  measure  are  right  and  just  and  patri- 
otic, and  that  the  provisions  for  compensating  the 
present  owners  of  the  interstate  railroads  are  emi- 
nently fair  and  even  liberal. 

"So  far  as  the  Ames  interests  are  concerned — I 
speak  on  behalf  of  a  unanimous  family,  and  for  Mrs. 
Gertrude  Strong,  who  owns  a  third  interest  in  all  the 
Ames  properties — we  will  accept  the  provisions  of  this 
bill,  and  henceforth  we  shall  do  all  within  our  power 
to  have  it  enacted  into  a  law  by  the  United  States 
Senate. 

"I  beg  to  remain, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"Frederic  Ames." 

The  hearers  of  this  strange  message  were  stunned 
at  first,  and  sat  mute  in  their  seats.  Then,  as  its  full 
import  dawned  upon  them,  they  arose  and  wildly 
shouted.  Men  stood  on  chairs  and  threw  their  hats 
into  the  air;  women  opened  their  parasols  and  waved 
them.  All  that  was  lacking  was  the  music  to  make  the 
scene  a  repetition  of  famous  ones  in  national  political 
conventions.     In  vain  the  Speaker  rapped  for  order. 

347 


THE    LIBERATORS 

He  was  compelled  to  give  up  the  attempt,  and  for 
twenty  minutes  pandemonium  reigned  in  this  assembly 
chamber  where  decorum  and  insipid  speeches  of  five 
minutes*  duration  had  so  recently  held  full  sway.  The 
assemblage  called  loudly  for  "Ames,"  but  he  was  not 
to  be  found.  The  crowd  in  the  gallery  surrounded  the 
Ames  party  and  cheered  them.  Randolph  was  em- 
braced by  his  colleagues  with  such  strenuousness  that 
his  clothes  and  hair  were  badly  disheveled. 

When  a  degree  of  order  was  restored  the  clerk  be- 
gan the  roll-call.  At  every  response  of  "aye,"  there 
was  a  tremendous  hurrah.  The  Speaker  made  no  ef- 
fort now  to  keep  the  crowd  still.  Only  a  dozen  mem- 
bers voted  "no,"  and  their  votes  were  roundly  hissed. 

Word  had  gone  over  to  the  Senate  of  the  momen- 
tous message,  and  railroad  lawyers,  with  blanched 
faces,  came  to  the  House  to  see  if  the  report  was  true. 
When  they  had  satisfied  themselves  of  the  full  extent 
of  the  communication,  nearly  all  of  them  hastened  to 
avow  their  allegiance  to  the  people's  cause,  and  by 
nightfall  there  was  not  a  score  of  Senators  who  had 
not  pledged  their  support  to  the  bill. 

At  the  close  of  the  roll-call  Randolph  received  a 
message  to  come  to  his  committee  room,  where  he 
found  Ames,  alarmed  lest  the  crowd  should  find  his 
hiding  place  and  embarrass  him  with  a  scene. 

348 


THE    LIBERATORS 

"Nonsense !  Show  yourself  to  the  people.  You  are 
the  emancipator  of  this  generation,  and  they  want  to 
do  you  homage.  What  a  splendid  old  fellow  you  are ! 
Who  would  have  dreamed  that  you  would  be  the  one 
to  make  my  socialistic  theories  effective?"  and  Ran- 
dolph embraced  Frederic.  But  he  could  not  induce 
him  to  go  out  into  the  crowd, 

"You  and  Gertrude  deserve  all  the  credit,"  Frederic 
declared,  "and  it  was  solely  through  you  two,  old 
man,  that  I  took  interest  enough  in  these  matters  to  in- 
vestigate for  myself.  Frederic  Ames  is  simply  a  pass- 
ing incident  in  this  great  struggle,  and  not  for  a 
moment  would  I  take  a  cheer  that  belongs  to  you. 
Send  for  the  rest  of  the  party,  George.  It  is  better 
for  us  to  remain  here  for  awhile." 

Randolph  could  not  induce  him  to  change  his  pur- 
pose, so  he  sent  his  secretary  to  bring  the  others  to 
them. 

As  soon  as  Mrs.  Strong  stepped  into  the  room,  Fred- 
eric went  over  to  her,  and  taking  her  arm  escorted  hen 
to  Randolph. 

"This  champion,"  he  said,  "has  been  more  valuable 
to  you  than  have  all  your  colleagues  in  the  House 
combined,  for  you  men  had  only  the  simple  task  of 
converting  the  country  to  your  views.  This  fair  lady 
undertook  the  Herculean  feat  of  converting  me.  Why, 

349 


THE    LIBERATORS 

George,  do  you  know  if  it  had  been  leap  year  I 
should  have  feared  it  was  my  heart  that  she  was  after, 
for  with  such  infinite  tact  and  grace,  such  alluring 
charm,  such  intense  devotion,  has  she  cultivated  me 
during  the  past  sixty  days  that  I  would  have  been  an 
Egyptian  mummy  had  I  not  surrendered.  You  never 
saw  such  a  combination  of  astute  politician,  elegantly 
cultured  literary  lady  and  drawing-room  fashion-plate. 
It  was  a  complete  amalgamation  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive qualities  of  her  grande  dames,  De  Maintenon,  De 
Stael  and  Recamier,  possible  to  imagine.  The  salon 
of  this  queen,  however,  was  not  used  for  the  multitude: 
— only  for  one  hard-headed,  stubborn-minded  political 
infidel,  who  was  probably  too  mentally  opaque  or 
callous-hearted  to  see  the  light. 

"Before  I  took  the  train  to  come  to  Washington," 
Frederic  went  on,"I  promised  her  to  act  here  and  now, 
if  you  convinced  me  that  this  was  the  proper  time. 
Your  speech  did  that — so  there  you  have  it.  And  I 
take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  you  your  ablest 
colleague."  While  his  words  were  those  of  lightness 
and  badinage,  his  face  reflected  the  stirring  of  his 
emotions  to  the  very  depths. 

Mist  covered  her  eyes,  and  her  voice  shook  with 
emotion  as  she  responded : 

"We  should  thank  God  that  fate  has  permitted  us 

350 


THE    LIBERATORS 

to  render  this  service  to  mankind.  Bless  you,  George, 
and  bless  you,  Frederic !  Dear  old  New  York  has  vin- 
dicated her  right  to  be  called  the  Empire  State,  for  this 
time  she  has  been  first,  not  among  the  last,  in  the  pro- 
gressive march  of  the  Republic.  How  proud  Hamilton 
would  be  of  the  grand  State  if  he  could  be  here  to- 
day !  It  has  taken  courage,  resolution  and  patriotism 
of  an  imperial  kind  to  do  what  you  young  men  have 
done." 

"None  of  which  courage,  or  resolution,  or  patriot- 
ism would  we  have  possessed  without  your  inspira- 
tion," replied  George. 

*  *  *  * 

This  little  party  had  heart-to-heart  talks  in  the  small 
committee  room  of  the  huge  building,  and  day  had 
dimmed  into  twilight  before  they  left.  The  others 
sought  their  carriages  at  the  east  side  of  the  building, 
but  Randolph  and  Virginia  went  out  upon  the  west  ter- 
race and  lingered  long,  enchanted  with  the  view,  their 
senses  lulled  by  the  calm  that  had  succeeded  the  storm. 

"Frederic  and  Gertrude  have  accepted  our  invitation 
to  go  with  us  to  Amalfi  right  after  our  wedding,"  she 
said. 

He  bent  over  and  kissed  her  tenderly. 

"And  it  is  only  two  weeks  till  then !"  he  whispered. 

Through  the  vista  could  be  seen  the  faint  outline  of 

351 


THE    LIBERATORS 

the  chaste  and  noble  shaft  to  the  inrmortal  Washing- 
ton. The  lights  of  the  White  House  grounds  gleamed 
among  the  distant  trees.  The  spirits  of  great  men  and 
of  great  deeds  were  around  them. 

But  transcending  every  other  influence  was  the  spirit 
of  a  great  love — the  feeling  that,  whatever  might  come, 
they  were  all-sufficient  for  one  another  and  would  for- 
ever walk  hand  in  hand  through  sunlight  and  dark- 
ness. 

They  passed  down  the  steps,  trod  by  the  nation's 
mightiest  men,  and  out  into  the  shadows  of  the  night. 

THE  END. 


352 


1  • 


ii;-«C? 


